Final Fantasy XIII: My Mix
by Kataang9
Summary: Read the Introduction chapter
1. Introduction

I played the game, Final Fantasy XIII, and I once thought it would be awesome to live in that game. Wouldn't you guys say. I've decided to recreate the Final Fantasy XIII story, but add myself to the story. Nothing serious out of this, I just thought it would be fun. It's not gonna hurt anyone, right? After all, it's just fanfiction.

Anyways, I own Final Fantasy XIII, just kidding, I really don't. But if I did, I wouldn't add that bonehead Snow Villiers to the story. I don't really like him, he's such a doofus. Anyways, keep in mind: Do not let this story let you know the kind of person I am, cause my character is going to be a bit different then how I am in the real world. Don't get me wrong, there are some parts of my background that are who I am, but there are still made up parts about myself. I don't want any trouble, just want to have a little fun.

Oh, also, I'll add a few extra scenes or lines in the story. For some of them would be cause I'm gonna be apart of the Final Fantasy XIII story, for others, well, lets just say they're scenes that I think that should have happened in the game, kind of like how ATHPluver did it in her Avatar: the Last Airbender story: My Weeks of Love and Pain. Anyways, keep an eye out for this warning:

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

That'll show you it's a scene I made up and that's not in the actual Final Fantasy XIII story/game. As for the extra lines…well, I'm not sure how I'll tell yea for every single one of them. I guess I'll just hope you'll notice the difference or something.

I even made up my own status:

Character Name: Patrick  
Age: 20  
Health: 300 (min) 28350 (Max)  
Strength: High  
Magic: Average  
Weapon: Bow  
Roles: Commando, Saboteur, Synergist  
Special ability: Black Shot - Saboteur: Would deal damage based on 225% of strength. At the same time also dispels two of the targets buffs and adds the spells the casters saboteur role has (Deprotect, Poison, Slow, Defaith, Debravery, Deshall), up to a total of three debuffs in a single shot. The percentage of the debuffs are 3% plus an additional 1.2% for every 250 magic.  
Eidolon: Omega Weapon  
Attitude: Loyal, but cold at hard times  
Appearance: White skin, brown short hair (Like a near buzz cut) 6'3 feet tell. My outfit in the story, What I had in mind is that it's gonna be a black shirt, with a long sleeve on the left arm and sleeveless on the right, with a dark red jacket vest over it. A fingerless glove on my right hand. A black fedora with a Hunger Games mockingjay pin on the right front of it. Glasses. A leather belt that holds two packs. Deep sea blue jeans and some boots. Also, a diamond heart necklace.

Relationships:

Lightning - Like  
Snow - Dislikes VERY much  
Vanille - Likes to tease, but inside, loves her (Not a couple love if that's what you're thinking!)  
Sazh - Average  
Serah - Close friend  
Fang - Some-what respectful  
Hope - Protective

Background: (Note: Most of this background isn't real. Some are made up cause…well, many Final Fantasy characters have a dramatic background. Just as Cecil, Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, Terra, Lightning, Rinoa, Tidus, Yuna….Auron maybe. Well, you know what I mean. I just made up my own dramatic background.)

Lost my parents at a young but separate ages. Lost my mother during the purge at the age of six. Grow up becoming an archer. At the age of fourteen, my father became a l'Cie then died as a Cie'th. After the loss of my parents, I dropped out of school and got a job as a mercenary. Will do any job, good or bad, just for money. This part of my background, however, is real: In my life, people always judge me harshly. When I have a common thread over someone like, like my gender, my team/group, my bloodline, even my own name, people always accuse me of being one of them, and never bother to get to know the real me. (In real life, I try hard to find help for my pain and misery of this bitter judgment)

Another thing, for those of you who haven't heard or played Final Fantasy XIII, I'd suggest trying it out. It's an awesome game.

I hope you'll enjoy it then.


	2. The Hanging Edge

A/N: Here's where the story of Final Fantasy XIII begins, on the purge train. If you haven't played Final Fantasy XIII, be sure to try it out. If you have a PS3 that is.

Chapter 1: The Hanging Edge

_'The Thirteen Days after we awoke were the beginning of the end'_

The land of Cocoon was rugged and deserted like. In between the canyons of Cocoon, is a train that rides inside a large glass tube. Inside that train carries Purge victims wearing purge robes that also lock the sleeves together, keep their hands contained inside.

A PSICOM soldier enters one of the train cars of the train. As he enters, he looks at the victims in the room, aiming his gun at them, checking on them. The train rides and enters a cave in between the canyons.

As the soldier looks over the victims, Sazh and Lightning just sit there quietly, until Sazh breaks the silence.

"You serious?"

"Be quiet!" Lightning orders.

Sazh looks up to see the soldier getting closer, then looks back down. "Best of luck."

The Purge train rides through the cave, until it arrives at some barrier. The barrier turns red, but the train doesn't stop. Instead, it runs right through the barrier, shattering it. The impact of the barrier causes a rumble within the train car.

Lightning soon sees this is her chance. She quickly gets up and rushes to the soldier. She slams into the soldier, flips over him. The soldier drops a device. Lightning steps on it, breaking it. After which, the magnetic locks on the sleeves of the purge robes shuts down, freeing the victims.

"She did it!" Sazh says.

The door slides open and two PSICOM soldiers came in the room. They see an uprising happening, and start shooting at Lightning. Just as they shoot, Lightning flips towards them, removing her robe. She lands in front of them and sweep kicks one of them in the face, or mask in this case. The other one was about to shoot, only failed when Lightning grabs his gun and jabs him with her elbow.

Lightning enters in the room and stands beside the door towards the next train car. She pushes the button on the wall, causing the door to slide open. She rushes in and shoots with the gun she stoled. She sees nothing, but when she stops shooting, one of the soldiers comes out of hiding. The solider tries to shoot her, but Lightning kicks him to unconscious. Lightning sees the next soldier behind him, then shoots at the soldier, killing him.

Lightning snaps her fingers, causing her body to be covered in a violet glow, engulfed in an gravity field. Lightning floats and charges midair to the soldier, slamming him against the door. Lightning looks ahead of her to see another PSICOM soldier. She charges towards the soldier and kicks him hard. While in midair, Lightning shoots her gun all over the room, killing the soldiers that surrounds her. One remains by the door to the next room. Lightning stands on the roof of the room and shoots at the soldier.

Lightning now moves to the ground and the gravity field fades from her. Sazh enters the room with a bunch of victims who are armed with guns. "So far so good!" Sazh approaches Lightning. "They all want to fight."

Lightning finds her gunblade from one of the soldiers and takes it, in it's gun form. "Good for them." The train rides through the tunnels until it arrives in the world of Hanging Edge. Lightning hangs out at one of the windows of the purge train, getting a view of the world. Her eyes are locked at the airships that are flying around and shooting at the purge train.

Lightning takes one of the missile launchers from Sazh. "Give me that!" Lightning aims the missile at one of the airships, until the target becomes locked and then fires. The missile goes flying and destroys one of the warships. Lightning shoots another missile at one of the warships, only it missed and hits the tracks behind the train.

A Pulse monster flies towards the purge train and blasts some lightning at the tracks until the whole thing explodes. The train splits. While the head of the train moves ahead, two of the train cars behind it breaks and crashes. One of them falls off the tracks. The purge victims of the crash fights against the PSICOM soldiers, who stand on higher ground. The soldiers shoot back at the victims. One of them uses the controlling device on his wrist and causes a PSICOM portal to summon some mechanical beasts. Another portal extends and causes a large monster to appear. A Beta Behemoth.

A PSICOM monster, Manasvin Warmech, soars through the skies following the Purge train. The monster flies closer and lands right on the train, causing the train to stop on its tracks. The Manasvin Warmech slam its tail on the last car of the train, until it breaks open, causing everyone but Lightning to panic.

"Run!" Sazh yells. Lightning doesn't run. Instead, she sees an opening on the roof and makes a jump for it. "I meant away!"

Sazh just gives in and climbs up to the hole on the roof. When he's up, he sees Lightning standing in front of the Manasvin Warmech, holding and pointing her weapon at it. Lightning positions herself to get ready to strike. Manasvin Warmech jumps in the air and then lands on the train. Sazh staggers a bit from the impact. "Hey, hey, hey! Let's be rational now!"

The Manasvin Warmech leans in and swing it's arms at Sazh and Lightning. Sazh just crawls back like a coward while Lightning flips back, avoiding the attack. Sazh gets on his feet. "They're sending in the big guns now. What do we do?"

"Watch and learn." Lightning answers.

The Manasvin Warmech move its arm back, as its buzzsaw fingers becomes electrified. It strikes at Lightning, but lightning jumps back avoiding it while the buzzsaws slashes on the ground.

Sazh takes out his pistol guns as Lightning charges at the monster and strikes with her gunblade. Sazh shoots at the Manasvin Warmech, at the same time, it strikes Lightning with its buzzsaws. Lightning strikes back at the monster with her Blitz ability, charging at the monster and does a sweep slash. Sazh shots some more at the monster, and Lightning does more strikes at the beast. The Manasvin Warmech charges up it's tail for a short time and fires lasers at Lightning and Sazh.

After that, the monster jumps up and lands on the tracks in front of the train. It grabs the train and starts shaking it. "Fall back!" Lightning orders.

As the Manasvin Warmech shakes the train, Lightning and Sazh runs to the end of the train car and jumps on the next. They stop to look at the monster. Sazh just laughs at it. "Not so tough now, huh?"

The Manasvin Warmech activities the rocket launchers on its shoulders. Sazh starts to get nervous seeing that happen. "Hey, that wasn't like a challenge, now. All right?" The beast starts pushing the train, causing the train cars to crumble. "Time to go!"

Lightning and Sazh runs to the end of the train car. As the train cars of the train raises, Lightning slides a break and then jumps to the railing on the edge of the train car and slides down to the end. When she was at the bottom, she jumps off and lands on the last train car. Sazh just stays behind, but then starts running down. "I'm coming!"

Sazh gets close to the last train car. Lightning can see the train car he's standing on is about to fall down. "Jump!" Sazh makes the jump and lands on the train car. Sazh lays on the ground trying to catch his breath. "Head's up."

Sazh gets on his feet and turns to see the Manasvin Warmech coming at them. "This thing…won't give up." The Manasvin Warmech dives down and lands on the train car, causing a rumbling. Lightning and Sazh stands their ground and faces the monster.

As Sazh shoots and Lightning attacks it, the Manasvin Warmech starts charging up a Wave Cannon. It's head opens up and realizes a cannon that's charging a large amount of energy. When it's done charging, it blasts an energy beam at them. Lightning and Sazh didn't handle the blast very well, but they kept on fighting.

Lightning strikes the monster and Sazh just shoots at it. the Manasvin Warmech raises its tail and shoots lasers at Lightning. Lightning slashes the monster, and soon after, the Manasvin Warmech starts charging up another Wave Cannon. But before it finished charging, Lightning and Sazh finishes it off.

The Manasvin Warmech screeches and rumbles. Lightning and Sazh, mostly Lightning, stands their ground as the monster explodes and it's body falls down. Sazh falls on his butt in exhaustion. "Oh goodness…Whoa! We did it!"

Lightning wasn't convinced. She stands on the edge of the train car and looks down. As she does, a number of warships soars pass them, startling Sazh. Lightning can see the beast is dead, so she shifts her gunblade into a gun and puts it in its holster. Lightning walks off, only stopped at her tracks from Sazh. "Aren't you suppose to protect civilians, Soldier? I mean you are Sanctum, aren't you? What're you doing trying to stop the purge? Why don't you tell me that?"

"I was a soldier." Lightning answered immediately.

Lightning walks to the edge of the train car and jumps off. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Sazh just stays behind, then his chocobo flies out of his hair and lands on his palm. "Chocobo, we just can't catch a break, can't we?" the Chocobo chatters at Sazh. "Yeah. That's the question."

Sazh climbs down from the car and decides to follow Lightning. Lightning makes her way down the path. "You sure we can get through here?" Lightning doesn't answer his question, just keeps on going. As they travel down the path, they run into some more PSICOM soldiers. Lightning takes out her Gunblade and fights through the soldiers. Sazh stays behind at a safe distance and shoots at them.

When the soldiers were killed, Lightning runs up to a pile of Rubble and leaps junk to junk and jumps over it. "Hey! Wait up now!" Sazh struggles climbing over the Rubble as Lightning moves on. When Sazh lands on the other side, finally, he can see Lightning is still moving on, regarding how far she is from him. "Fixing to ditch me already, huh?"

Lightning runs into another pile of Rubble and jumps over them. Sazh tries hard to catch up to her. He manages to reach the Rubble she just jumped over. As usual, he climbs over it. Lightning stops and looks back to see Sazh dangling from the Rubble. Lightning just sighs and shook her head as Sazh falls and lands on his bottom.

Sazh approaches Lightning. When he does, he puts his hands on his knees, panting. "Wait…up for me."

"There's no time for waiting around." Lightning says.

Lightning walks ahead, and Sazh looks up to her. "Oh, says you. Aren't you suppose to be waiting for your other partner?"

Lightning looks over her shoulder to Sazh. "I'm meeting him inside the Pulse Vestige." Lightning tells him. Sazh follows Lightning, not even gonna argue her answer. Lightning and Sazh sees a dead end, and there they also see a PSICOM soldier with a portal. They hide behind some Rubble and watches carefully.

"Not wanting to get Purged I get. But taking on trained soldiers?" Sazh ask.

"Better to die than get sent to Pulse." The soldier pushes the buttons on his wrist, causing the portal to summon some beasts. "It's hell without a brimstone."

The beasts stands by the soldier. "Yeah, well hell's not sounding too bad. Cause this plan ain't exactly paradise."

"Domesticated peacekeepers. Nothing to worry about." Lightning mentions.

"Maybe not for a Soldier girl, but-" Lightning just charges in. "He-hey, hey!"

Lightning takes out her Gunblade and faces the beasts. Sazh shoots his guns at the soldier. The soldier dies easily, but the beasts are hard to kill. Lightning parries the beasts attacks and counter attacks with Blitz. the beasts dies and then Lightning and Sazh continues ahead. They jump over the pile of supplies to find themselves in combat with PSICOM Aerial Recons.

Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun and starts shooting at them. The Aerial Recons flies around, avoiding her shoots and starts shooting back. Sazh shoots at the Recons. One of them, their jetpacks go haywire from the shoot and flies the Recon all around the sky, until he falls down. Lightning shoots at the other one, killing him.

Lightning and Sazh continues on down their path. While they're on the run, a large missile crashes on the path in front of them. They stand hard to resist the blast. When it clears, they can see it's now a dead end.

"Can we turn back?" Sazh asks in a panic.

"There's no time!" Lightning answers.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Sazh asks.

"Quiet!" Lightning walks up to the end of the path, and looks around. She stands in place as she snaps her fingers, activating the gravity field engulfing her body. Lightning floats and is about to take off, only to be stopped when Sazh grabs her and holds her in place. "Hey! Hey, hey! Wait! No, no, don't leave me!"

Lightning struggles to get loose. "Let go!"

"Hell, no, you're my only way out of here!" Sazh begs.

Lightning couldn't take it. She jabs him with her knee then slaps him in the face. Only when she does, the gravity field deactivates. Sazh falls down on the ground, Lightning snaps again, only nothing happens. She tries again, still nothing. Lightning's disappointed.

"Hey, that might get us across! Right there!" Lightning turns to see what Sazh is talking about, but then sees some ship with a bridge raising up on it, coming towards the path they stand on. Lightning looks at Sazh with a cold glare. "Right?"

"Looks that way." Lightning says.

Lightning makes her way to the bridge. Sazh gets on his feet and follows her, then takes the lead.

"All right, you leave this to me." Sazh walks up the stairs to higher ground.

Lightning walks up the steps behind Sazh. Sazh hopes on a levitating platform, Lightning follows Sazh from behind then moves to the control panel. The platform moves towards the dock and Lightning and Sazh jumps on.

Lightning and Sazh sees a PSICOM Marauder ahead, working on the machine. "This is not our lucky day."

The Marauder stops his work and sees intruders. "Deportees, are we?" the Marauder stands facing them. "Weapons down. I'd hate for this to turn ugly."

The Marauder takes out his polearm. Sazh looks confused. "Uh…turn ugly?"

Lightning walks pass Sazh, taking out her Gunblade. "He wants to kill us without a fight."

Sazh takes out his guns. The Marauder and two officers walks up to him, then the Marauder soon charges. "Time's up!" the Marauder makes a strike as he charge, only Lightning parries his attack. The two officers takes out their guns and starts firing. Sazh shoots at them back. One of them gets hit in the head and falls unconscious. Lightning strikes at the Marauder. The Marauder parries her first attack, shortly afterwards, Lightning jabs her elbow in the Marauder's stomach then stabs her blade through him.

Sazh shoots at the second officer, killing him. Sazh and Lightning walks down the dock towards the control panel. When they do, they walk pass the soldier that's regaining conscious. Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun and shoots him.

"So, Soldier…" Sazh walks up to the machine in front of him and looks at it, then returns his attention to Lightning. "What's your angle?" Lightning doesn't say anything. Just gives him the silence treatment. Sazh just accepts it and does some work on the control panel of the machine. "What, is it classified military info?" Sazh looks at Lightning to see she's only looking away, not trying to make eye contact with him. "What's it matter? You quit, didn't you? You think I'm gonna go out there and just tell everybody your secret?"

Only at the part when Sazh said 'Everybody', Lightning answers. "The Pulse fal'Cie." Sazh is surprised to hear that. Lightning turns to face Sazh. "My 'angle'. I'm after the fal'Cie."

Not saying anything else, Lightning walks up to the control panel of the machine. She grabs the lever and shifts it. When she's done, the machine turns on and the ship lowers the bridges and starts moving. "Still happy you tagged along?"

Lightning just walks off to the edge of the ship, where the bridge use to be. "Didn't have a choice…" The ship turns and then takes off at a slow pace. "Well…what about your partner?"

Lightning doesn't say anything, just stands there with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She does wonder what her partner is doing or where I'm at.

Meanwhile, on a different bridge of the Hanging Edge, an announcement is being made.

"_On behalf of Cocoon's citizens, I would like to thank our brave Pulse pioneers and express out best wishes for a successful relocation._"

On the bridge, a group of fighters, known as NORA, runs down the path, armed and ready to attack.

"_Your noble and selfless sacrifice…" _One of the NORA members shoots above her in the air. "_…ensures the continued safety and peace of our society." _The NORA members hides behind some Rubble as shields as they shoot at the PSICOM officers, and the officers shoots back at them. "_Were it not for this remarkable gesture every resident of Cocoon, your family, your friends, your neighbors would be exposed to the dangers of the world below."_

One of the officers gets shoot and dies. Many of the helpless citizens up ahead are just sitting around, worried and scared.

"_By choosing to leave Cocoon and participating in this migration-"_

The announcement becomes interrupted by someone breaking the speaker by stomping on that. That stomper was the leader of NORA: Snow Villiers.

"'Migration'? More like extermination!" Yuj says, standing next to Snow.

"Yuj…You stay here." Snow says.

Yuj looks a little nervous. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"

Snow just shakes his head. "These people need heroes!" Snow raises his fist in front of him with pride. Yuj understands. Snow grabs Yuj's hand where he carries the gun, and helps with his position. "Here. You keep your cool, and they will too." Snow puts a hand on Yuj's shoulder. "You got it?"

Yuj nods. "Got it."

Snow takes a step forward, then looks back at his team. "What's out motto?"

Yuj stands straight. "The army's no match for NORA!"

Snow gives Yuj a thumb up. "Attaboy." Then Snow just rubs his hand on Yuj's head, then he turns and walks off.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

[About five minutes ago]

A destroyed Purge train lays dead on its tracks. Behind a damaged wall of the train, the sound of someone banging happens, then eventually, the wall starts to get pushed over. Behind that wall is me, trying to get loose. I push the wall flat on the ground, then I stand stretching my arms out.

"Not a bad warm up." I say. I take off my hat, wipe the dust off of it, then put it back on. After a moment, I take a look around. "Tch, last time I take a train ride. Now…where am I at?"

Just my luck, a PSICOM officer shows up. "You there, freeze!"

He points his gun at me. I'm unarmed, so I know I have to improvise. I put my hands behind my head with a smirk on my face. "You wipe that smirk off your face."

"Oh, I'm smirking? Didn't notice." I say. I soon gasped then point at the direction behind the officer. "l'Cie!"

The officer turns, with his gun loaded and ready to shoot. "Where!?"

As soon as he turned, I quickly run up to the officer and jab him in the back of his neck, making him fall unconscious. I just give a single chuckle looking at the officer. "You PSICOM punks are fools."

I look around the Rubble of the dead train. After a moment, I found my silver bow. I pick it up and then take a look around. "If my bow's here then they should be…"

I scan around the Rubble and find the tip of three arrows on the ground. I dig through the Rubble on that spot, until I got my hands on a full quiver of arrows. "Jackpot!"

I strip the quiver over my left Shoulder down to my right hip, then close the belt. After I'm loaded up, I take a look at my surroundings. In front of the train car I'm at is a large pile of Rubble from the rest of the train. It's a dead end. My only other path is where I came in from, back to the outside lands of Cocoon.

"Hmm…where to go?" I look around to see another bridge not to far. Jumping would seem pointless, unless I can somehow leap 300 yards. I look up to see a support beam. After that, I have an idea. I reach into my quiver, and take out an arrow that's tied to a rope. I aim the arrow at the support beam and let it fly. The arrow pierces through it. I tug on the rope, to make sure it can hold, then afterwards, I swing towards the next bridge.

While I was swinging, Snow just finish talking to Yuj and heads out, only as soon as I spotted him in my way, I scream and try to stop, but it was too late, I crashed into him.

We both lay on the ground, then I get up on my knees. I look to see it's Snow I crashed into. Snow starts to get up. "You?" I say in anger disappointment.

Snow looks at me and smiles a little. "Oh hey. Good to see you."

I stand on my feet, and Snow does the same. "Not so good to see you! What the hell are you doing here, Villiers?"

"I'm on a rescue mission. What about you?" Snow says.

"I'm here as well on a mission. But I ain't telling you anything!" I say.

"Okay, chillax man. I wasn't gonna ask." Snow says. "Hey. How about we work together?"

I glare at Snow, standing so close to his face. "I wouldn't work with you if you were the last partner on Cocoon!"

I turn away from Snow, walked a few feet away from him. "Look man, we're on the same goal, right? To rescue Serah?" I didn't say anything. I just crossed my arms in front of my chest. "Look, I know you're a mercenary. You'll do anything for money right? How about I pay you to team up?"

"No amount of money in the world will make me team up with the likes of you!" I say in a cold tone.

"Don't be like that man. How about I double your salary?" I don't say anything, I just give him the silent treatment. "Triple it?"

For a moment, I said nothing, but then I sigh. "Fine!" I turn to face Snow. "I'll work with you, but when I do, you'll follow my ground rules: Don't talk to me unless spoke too, don't get in my way, don't do anything reckless and stupid!"

"Okay, okay. Geez, man." Snow walks ahead and I just stare at him, then follows him shortly afterwards.

I'm not really the cold type kind of person, like my partner Lightning. But when it comes to Snow, I can't help but be cruel. I really hate that man, he's nothing but trouble to me.

* * *

We walk down the path ahead of us. On our path are other citizens that are cowering in fear and overwhelmed in doubt and despair.

"We didn't do anything wrong!"

"It's over. It's all over."

"I don't want to die!"

"We're just gonna die anyway!"

"We never should have fought back."

"I wanna go home!"

The mare sight of it just makes my heart ache. I know how they feel. I went through the same way a long time ago. I always think that hope will come and save them, only I didn't think their hope would be this idiot Villiers.

We arrive at a large pile of Rubble then jump over it. I followed Snow, only when I made it to the top, I look down to see Snow is gathering with his NORA members. I just sigh in annoyance. "I should have known…" I don't really like NORA very much. Well, Lebreau, she's all right. Gabot I can hardly stand, he's like a second Snow. I don't know what to say about Yuj and Maqui.

The NORA members are shooting at the PSICOM officers. "Ah! This is Crazy!" Maqui says.

"Then take a Nap." Gadot says.

Maqui gets a little excited hearing that. "Really? Can I?"

Gadot just rolls his eyes. "Sure! And when we're taking a dirt nap, you can save 'em all!"

Maqui just falls back on the ground. "Aw, that's even worse!"

That's when Snow and I show up. Snow stands in front of one of the forts they hide behind and kneels down. "No dirt naps today! We're all in this together!" I stand next to Snow and kneel down as well. "Our enemy's the Cocoon Sanctum! Their dreaded PSICOM, no less."

"What's the dread?" Lebreau says. "PSICOM's nothing but a whole bunch of bluster and bullying."

I turn to face Lebreau. "What else have they ever been?" I ask.

Lebreau looks at me. "They're got nothing on NORA."

"Well, we are the heroes after all!" Gadot says, shooting his gun at the army.

Hearing that just makes me roll my eyes. They're crazy to think they're heroes. For most of the reason, is cause they have a fool for a leader. Other then that…I got nothing.

Snow gets on his feet. "Let's prove it!"

The rest of the NORA members get on their feet as well and cheers. I only raise a fist, no higher then my head. Not really caring, but only showing small support. Snow charges in the battle, taking out the army. I follow Snow, but stay at a good distance shooting my arrows at the PSICOM soldiers.

After defeating the front line of soldiers, Snow slams his fist in his other hand, warming up. "We've got to clear a path outta here." Snow says.

I look ahead to see more soldiers down the path. "No fooling, but I wouldn't be so reckless to do it." I mentioned.

As we cut down the enemies on the path, the NORA members follow us from behind. Snow kneels down and hides behind a pile of Rubble, then Maqui falls on his knees. "Oh, ho. No more!"

He's such a kid. I don't get why he's complaining in the middle of the war. He should think twice before getting involved into something like this. Lebreau sighs and walks up. "There are soldiers everywhere."

_Isn't it that obvious? _I thought.

"Yo, boss. What's the plan?" Gadot asks.

Snow stands up. "Charge in, guns blazing."

"Hey! That's not a plan!" Maqui complains.

I look ahead to see the numbers of the army is great. Maqui's right. It's not a plan, it's recklessness. "Are you crazy? With that big of an army!" I say. All eyes are on me, even from Snow. "I told you we're not doing anything reckless and stupid!"

"Who died and made you leader?" Yuj asks.

"No, he's right. As part of hiring him, I can't do anything reckless and stupid." Snow says. "Well, what do you suggest then?"

"Real heroes don't need plans." Lebreau says.

I just sigh an annoyance. "Fine then! I'll leave it to the 'heroes' then!" At that note, Snow just charges in, along with the NORA members. "Hey! I was being! …" Just like that, they're gone, all ready fighting. I just groan in annoyance. "I think I can understand how you feel about them, Lightning."

I load my bow with an arrow and charge in as well. We fight our way through the army. Most of it wasn't too pretty. But that's what I expect in a war. Finally, we took out the whole army and move ahead on our path, until we reached the group of helpless citizens. The NORA members walk up in front of them. Just before Snow does the same, I tap on his shoulder. Snow turns to me then I punch him in the nose.

"Ow! What was that for?" Snow asks.

"What did I tell you about being reckless?" I say.

"Don't look at me. You're the one who said to leave it to us." Snow says.

"I was being sarcastic, yea pea brain! I don't know how you can call yourself a hero when you're nothing more then a doofus!" I bark.

"Ok, ok. Calm down." Snow reaches into his pocket and takes out a bag. "Here, maybe this will cheer you up."

I snatched the bag, then look inside it. It's filled with Gil. I look at Snow then give him a single nod. "Okay, don't get too comfortable. That's only half I'm paying you. You'll get your other half after the mission." Snow smiles then turns to face the crowd while I place the pouch in the pack hanging on the right side of my belt.

Snow stands in front of the poor citizens. "You all okay?" The citizens all look up to Snow, then Maqui stumbles forward and collapses. I guess carrying all those guns are just heavy duty for him. "Hey, careful with those."

Maqui just chuckles. I cross my arms in front of my chest. "Just what are you planning, Villiers?"

Snow turns his head over his shoulder looking at me. "Getting us some extra hands."

_I don't like where this is going._ I thought. Snow returns his attention to the crowd. "Don't worry, no one's moving to Pulse today. We'll clear you a path out of here, so be ready to-"

"Wait!" I see a man standing up, right in front of Snow. "Let me fight with you."

Another man in a purge robe also stands. "Yeah, you can't expect us to just sit here!"

I can see where this is going, he's trying to get everyone to stand and fight. Snow looks at Gadot. "Could help."

"Yep." Gadot answers.

"Please. Let us help." A man offers.

I walk up in between Snow and the man. "I appreciate your offer. But this isn't your fight." I say.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" The man says.

I just exhale through my nose, I can tell from the look on his face there's no turning back. Figures...

I move out of the way, when I do, there was an explode that happens far from behind us. It startles the citizens, but we all can see it was nothing to worry about…yet.

"Okay then. Volunteers front and center." Those that want to fight stands up and approaches Maqui. One-by-one, Maqui offers the citizens the guns.

"Mom?" That voice manages to catch my attention. I see a women, Nora, standing up. She looks down at some child that's wearing a purge robe. I put the pieces together, that boy is probably her son.

"Don't worry." She says to the boy. I see Nora walking towards a gun close to her and picks it up, then she walks up to the gang. I widen my eyes in worry, I can tell what's gonna happen here, and I know it doesn't end well.

Snow looks surprised to see the women. I walk up to her and Snow as well. "You sure?" Snow asks her.

"Yeah. It's too dangerous." I said to her.

Nora takes a moment for silence, then answers. "Yeah…mom's are tough."

'Mom's are tough'. That just brings back dark memories. Memories I'd hate to be reminded of. Nora joins the group and Gadot hands Snow the last gun. "It's the last one boss."

Snow takes the gun and walks up to the crowd. "All right, it's the last one. Somebody take it." Snow offers the gun to the boy in the purge robe. But he just backs away.

"No…I can't." He says. I should have known, he's weak and scared.

A girl in the purge robe, the one the boy slides back to, stands up and opens her arms. "Here!"

I don't know what that girl is thinking, or where she's from compared to that strange accent, but she's nuts getting involved in something dangerous. Snow just goes ahead and offers the gun to her. What the hell is that bonehead thinking?

"Push comes to shove, keep 'em safe." Snow says.

The girl just points the gun and says 'bang'. The tone she makes sounds playfully. I can tell this girl is one of those silly girls that acts cute and adorable, like their whole world is nothing but sugar and rainbows. I'd hate to see someone like her getting involved in a war here.

Snow turns to face the crowd that's staying behind. "All right, lay low and you'll be fine. We'll clear out the area." Just then, PSICOM soldiers shows up, and aims their guns at the group from a far distance. "We're going home together!" Snow cheers.

I can see the soldiers are about to ambush us. That idiot has no idea what's going on. "Come on. Everybody up!" Lebreau says. Just like that, everyone gets up, all expect for the boy. He just sits there all lonely.

"Right. New recruits. On me!" Gadot says. Gadot charges in with everyone following him. Nora stays behind with Snow. "Come on." Snow says.

He heads out and Nora follows him. I stay behind, watching them leave, then I look back at that boy. He just sits there, doing nothing. I walk up to him, then kneel beside him. "Hey." The boy looks up at me, he looks worried and scared. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she's safe." The boy doesn't say anything, not even sure if he trusts me. "You should go and hide."

I stand up, turn and walk away, following the crowd. "Mister?" I stop, hearing the boy call out to me. "Please…take care of her."

I sigh quietly. I turn my head, barely facing the boy and nod, then I continue on. As I walk, I gently grab hold the diamond heart on my necklace with the tips of my fingers, in hope that boy doesn't suffer the same fate…as I once did.

I catch up with Snow and Nora. "This is a bad idea, Villiers. We shouldn't let this lady get involved." I say.

"She volunteered. Don't blame me for this." Snow says. I just roll my eyes. "Besides, we're not losing to PSICOM, you hear me?"

I was about to say something, then Lebreau speaks up. "This will be a piece of cake!"

We charge our way into the army, cutting them down to size. We've manage to kill the front line. "Stay sharp! We don't want to make their job any easier."

I shoot an arrow at a soldier, killing him. "If we were, I think we would have been done for from the start." I say.

More PSICOM soldiers charges at us. At a good distance, they stand in place and shoots with their guns. Me and the NORA members do the same, expect for Snow who just charges in and strikes at them with a couple of punches.

After the fifth and last wave, I see a PSICOM soldier standing at high ground. "Mobilize beta force! Put down the resistance!"

I quickly load my bow with an arrow and send it flying at him, silencing that soldier for good. Only before he got killed, he shoots his gun in the air. I look up to see a large airship coming down at the bridge. On the top of the ship, the Beta Behemoth stands on top of it, looking down at us.

"Oh no." I whispered, looking shocked. The Beta Behemoth jumps off the ship and lands at the end of the path. The landing sure does make a big bent to the ground. Snow walks up to the beast. "Heroes don't run from fights." Snow says, clenching his fists.

I stand beside Snow, loading my bow with an arrow. "They don't, but I'm surprised you're not running." I say.

The Behemoth stands on its hind legs for about three seconds, then goes back to all four and charges at us. I leap backwards avoiding the beast. Snow just docks as the monster jumps towards him, or over him in that case. Snow gives the Beta Behemoth a strong blow in the stomach. The Beta Behemoth lands past Snow, with a slight loss of balance. Snow stands and turns to face it.

"We fight and we survive!" Snow says!

I shoot my arrow at the monster, and then quickly load and shot before it reacts. "That's the golden rule!" I say.

The Beta Behemoth leaps forward and slashes Snow with its paw. Snow takes out a grenade and throws it at the monster. The Beta Behemoth roars painfully from the explosion. I shoot more of my arrows at the monster. Some of them pierces through its skin. The Behemoth leaps towards me and then launches me into the air by giving me a headbutt. That did a number on me, and the landing was rough as well.

Snow hits the monster with some punches. I manage to get back on my feet and drink a potion to restore some health I lost. When the pain was gone, I continue shooting my arrows at the monster.

The Beta Behemoth swipe it's paw, knocking Snow back. He crash lands beside me, and moves to a sitting position. "This thing's tough!"

"What? You expecting this to be an easy fight?" I say, firing an arrow. The arrow pierces right into the Beta Behemoth's left eye. It roars so fierce, now it's mad. Snow gets back on his feet. He charges at the monster, delivering powerful blows at it. The Beta Behemoth stands on its hind legs, backs up to the edge of the bridge. I aim my arrow at the monster and let it fly. The arrow pierces through the monsters neck. The monster roars, then falls back, falling down.

Me and Snow walks up to the edge and looks down, watching the Beta Behemoth fall until it's out of sight. "Whoa! That wasn't so bad." Snow says.

"Don't get to cocky." I say.

While we were fighting the beast, the rest of the NORA members and the new recruits fights off against PSICOM soldiers. Gabot runs to the front line of his team and shoots like crazy against the soldiers. He manages to kill about two of them and the rest of the soldiers runs away fleeing.

Me and Snow take cover. I don't know what Snow's thinking, but I can tell something's up. Giving up just like that? What happens next answers my question. The fighters stops shooting and looks up to see the airship is flying in front of us. The airship shoots back against the fighters.

"Snow! We've got trouble!" Gadot shouts.

Snow looks around for something. "No kidding." Snow spots a gun just ahead, right under the airships feet. "Stay down." Snow goes charging in.

"Snow! Wait!" I shout as he run.

Snow runs towards the gun. The airship aims its guns at him and starts shooting. Just when they did, Snow leaps forwards to avoid getting shot. Expect when he lands, he misses the gun and slides past it. He looks back at the gun, then up on the airship. The Airship opens a mega cannon from underneath it. It's official: Snow's a goner.

Just then, a missile flies towards the airship and hits it. The airship suffers greatly from the explosion. Snow looks back and I turn my head. We both see it was Nora who launched that missile. Nora looks down at Snow. "I told you, didn't I?" She kneels down and offers Snow a hand. "Mom's are tough."

Nora helps Snow stand up. I walk up to them as she helps Snow. I walk up to Snow and give him a glare. "You're lucky she saved you, man!" I shot at him.

As the airship goes down, it shoots it's mega cannon at the bridge, right behind us. The explosion breaks the bridge and part of it starts falling. the impact also causes the mother to fall forward, and gasp like she's been hurt badly.

Meanwhile, at a distance from the bridge, the two kids, Nora's son, Hope, and that silly girl, Vanille, watches the whole thing. Vanille is surprised to see the explosion. She gasp as she puts her hands on her mouth. Me, Snow and Nora lays unconscious from the explosion. Me and Snow manage to regain conscious. Snow looks to see Nora is knocked out right on him.

Me and Snow sits up. Snow carries Nora's body. I look to see her. My eyes widen open with a horrified feeling. She can't be dead, can she? Snow looks past me, at the falling bridge, seeing all the citizens are falling to their deaths.

"No…No!" Snow says. I turn to see all the citizens in trouble. I can't believe this is happening. While we're frozen in fear, an explosion happens not far behind us, causing the part of the bridge we're standing on to break as well. The explosion and the bridge starting to break, causing us to slide down. We were about to fall, until I manage to grab one of the pipes that's sticking out from inside of the bridge.

I see Snow and Nora falling above me. I manage to grab Snow, and he has a grip on the mother. Snow looks down at Nora, and then back up at me. "Thanks for the rescue." Snow says.

"Don't thank me! I'm only saving you just to save her!" I shout at Snow. I can see Nora is starting to regain conscious. "You're alive! Hang on!"

I slowly lift Snow up to the next pipe next to me. He grabs it, and when he does, I manage to pull myself up. When I'm up on the bridge, I look down and reach for Nora. "Grab my hand!"

Nora looks up, both at me and Snow. "Get him home…please…"

I slightly gasped at hearing that. "Hold on!" Snow says to her.

The mother just closes her eyes, and then dangles down. She becomes heavier for Snow. Snow tries to hold her up, but then she slips out of his hand and falls to her death. Me and Snow reaches down for her and screams. From the distance, Hope reaches his hand towards her and scream.

Snow and I just watch as she falls. Just then, the bridge breaking snaps us out of our trance. Before we do anything, it was too late. Snow loses his grab and the rumbling causes me to fall forward.

Hope just stares at the bridge, where his mother fell. He's becoming overwhelmed in fear and sorrow at the loss of his mother. Vanille stands behind him, and comfortably places her hands on his shoulders. They don't say anything for a moment, but then Vanille turns, grabs Hopes hand and starts running. "Come on!"

She loses her grip on Hope, as he just stood there like a rock. Vanille turns Hope to face her and slaps him, snapping him out of his trance. "We have to move!" Vanille says.

"All right." Hope whispers. Vanille grabs Hopes hand and they start running.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Me and Snow lay unconscious on the rubble. I instantly wake up, releasing a gasp, and instantly sit up. I look around, I see my hat. I grab it, wipe the dust off of it and put it back on. Beside, I see the unconscious idiot. Then I look around then find Nora. I look surprised to see her as I quickly rush towards her. When I was in front of her, I get on my knees and hold her in my arms.

"Hey. Hey miss!" I shake her, gently at first, but then a little harder. "Wake up!"

She doesn't wake up. Just then, Snow regains conscious. I check the women's pulse. There was nothing. Knowing that makes me look down, with tears in my eyes. She's dead. Snow sits up and sees me with the dead lady, then he starts standing up. I gently lay Nora down on the ground, then my sorrow turns into anger.

I turn, get on my feet and make my way towards Snow. "You SON OF A-" When I'm in front of Snow, I punch him very hard at his jaw. So hard, that both his jaw and my hand would probably break.

Snow falls onto his butt from my blow. "Ow! Hey man, what's your deal?" Snow asks, gently rubbing his cheek.

"What's my deal!? What the hell is YOUR deal?!" I shout at him in anger. "Because of you, she's dead!"

"Hey man, why are you getting all so worked up about? You don't even know her." Snow says.

I just kick Snow in the stomach, causing him to fall onto his back and curl up with his hands on his stomach. "I don't need to know her! I made a promise to keep her safe, I told her son that I would keep her safe! And now she's gone! Because of YOU!"

Snow looks up at me. "How is it my fault she's dead?"

"You got her involved into this battle! You had her in your hands when she was dangling, but you let her go! Made her fall to her death!" I shout at him. "Because of you, he's now gonna suffer the same fate!"

Snow slowly gets back up on his feet. "Look man. You're overreacting." When he's on his feet, I punch him in the jaw, causing him to fall on his butt again.

"No man! You have no idea what I've been through! What I've seen! What I've experienced! It's people like you who don't give shit about anything!" We don't say anything else. Snow just looks at me with a look that show's he's against what I'm saying. I let out an anger groan. I reach for my pack and then tossed the bag of Gil right in front of Snow. "Keep your dirty, rotten money! Not all the Gil in Cocoon is worth putting up with you!"

I walk right past Snow, walking up the shattered, fallen bridge. I've had it with Snow Villiers. He has no idea, nor would ever understand, what I've seen. Hope lost his mother in the war, just like I lost mine when I was just like Hope: A child. Scared, weak, helpless.

When I saw the boy and the mother, and knew my dark past was rewriting itself on them, I promised to stop it from happening. But I have failed. Well now I have another promise, one I intend to keep and complete: To take him home.

* * *

Meanwhile, The ship Sazh and Lightning are riding on is making it's way to the Pulse Vestige. While riding, Sazh looks at one of the bridges and sees a battle going on all over.

"It's an out-and-out massacre." Sazh says, with a slight anger in this tone and expression. "Those people won't even life long enough to die out on Pulse."

Lightning walks up beside Sazh to view the bridge. "That was the idea."

Sazh turns to look at Lightning, surprised. "What?"

Lightning looks at Sazh. "Sanctum logic." Lightning returns her attention to the view. "They conjured up the Purge to eliminate a threat." Lightning bends down on one knee and looks down. "I mean, why carry the danger all the way to Pulse?" Lightning stands back up, raising her gunblade, in gun form, up on her shoulder. "Why not just stamp it out here? …Execution masquerading as exile." Lightning turns to face Sazh again. "That's all the Purge ever was."

Sazh just sighs and turns around, facing another direction. "'Relocation to Pulse.' How does a government get away with pulling crap like that?" Lightning doesn't answer, then Sazh turns to face her. "And you…you knew this was gonna happen?"

Lightning shook her head. "The Purge was PSICOM. Private Sanctum troops, not the Guardian Corps." Sazh just walks around behind Lightning. "PSICOM, Guardian Corps…Soldiers are soldiers, aren't they?" There was nothing but silence for a moment. "Pulse fal'Cie, and their l'Cie, are enemies of the state." Lightning turns her head to look at Sazh. "Tell a soldier to kill an enemy, and you really think it's gonna matter what uniform he's wearing?"

Lightning walks right pass Sazh. "Might have mattered to that one. Couldn't shoot, got himself shot instead." Lightning stops on the edge, then Sazh walks up next to her. "How about you? Orders say shoot, you pull the trigger?" Lightning doesn't say anything, just gives Sazh the silence treatment. Sazh raise his hands then starts walking away form Lightning. "Fine. Forget I asked."

Suddenly, the ship stops and the bridge opens up. Lightning starts to get suspicious. "Wait…what?" Lightning takes out her gunblade, shift it into a sword. A large war machine, Myrmidon, flies towards the ship and then lands on the bridge. Lightning and Sazh ready themselves for battle. The Myrmidon charges at Sazh and shocks him with its electric arm.

Lightning strikes at the robot, stabbing her gunblade through the robot, instantly killing it, or shutting it down, whatever works. After the defeat, a loud siren goes on. Lighting and Sazh are on the alert from it. "What's that?" Sazh asks.

Lightning and Sazh looks up. A sealed gate from the ceiling starts opening up.

"Attention Purge deportees. Attention Purge deportees. Put down your weapons and surrender immediately." A Large Pulse Fal'Cie comes out of the gate with a few warships with it. "Your removal is the will of the people of Cocoon. Should you attempt to flee, the Sanctum will employ every resource necessary to bring you to justice. This land is no longer your home. Cease hostilities and surrender at once."

On the Rubble, Snow gets on his feet and looks at the large Pulse Fal'Cie being carried through the zone. Snow looks at the Pulse Fal'Cie as it floats in the center of the Hanging Edge. "Serah!"

I start climbing through the Rubble onto a bridge. When I made it on the bridge, I look up to see the Pulse Fal'Cie. "That's our target. I wonder if Lightning already broke into it."

Lightning and Sazh stands and takes a look at it. "So that's where you were looking for."

"Yeah. Right in there." Lightning answers.

"The Pulse Fal'Cie. Huh."

The airships flies around the Pulse Fal'Cie as it floats by Hope and Vanille. They just watch it fly by. Hope removes his robe, but then a childs voice captures his ears. "Mom?"

Hope faces the direction of the sound, then sees a child with his mothers arms wrapped around him. "Don't worry. We'll be okay." She says.

Seeing that just makes him sad. While he's scared and helpless, he doesn't have his mother to protect him. Instead, he has some stranger. Speaking of which, Vanille also takes off her robes. Hope turns to face her and is surprised by how she looks. Vanille just looks at Hope and smiles, then she looks down at her feet. She picks up the gun and hands it to Hope.

"Here." Hope just takes the gun and looks at it.

Hope looks lost, then snaps out of his trance when Vanille hugs him, a hand on his back and another gently patting the back of his head. "It's too much, isn't it?" Vanille whispers to Hope. Vanille ends the hug and takes a step back. "Face it later."

Hope was about to say something, but he couldn't form any words. "Ciao!" Vanille says, then turns around and runs off.

"Hey! Wait!" Hope chases after Vanille.

Lightning and Sazh stands at the end of the bridge of the ship they're on. They look at the Pulse Fal'Cie. Lightning takes a step forward to the edge. "So, how do you figure that Pulse Fal'Cie is different from the Sanctum's?" While Sazh was talking, Lightning kneels and looks down, then back up on the Pulse Fal'Cie. "All things being equal, I'd just as soon keep wondering."

Lightning gets back on her feet, then takes a few steps back. "Time to jump." Lightning then runs towards the end of the bridge.

"Oh, he-hey! Hand on!" It was too late. Lightning jumps and falls down. She dives towards a different bridge right blow her. Sazh walks to the edge and looks down. "What the-HEY!" Lightning just falls and falls, until half way, she snaps her fingers, activating the gravity field. Lightning flips then lands on the bridge.

Sazh sees what she did and becomes impressed. "Damn…" Sazh looks at the chocobo chick in his hands. "If she can do it, so can we." The chocobo leaps back into Sazhs afro. Sazh starts climbing down, but then slips and falls.

Lightning looks up to see Sazh falling, then runs off. Sazh falls, but when he makes it to the bridge, instead of crashing to the ground, he lands on the gravity field Lightning left behind. Lightning makes her way towards the Pulse Fal'Cie, with Sazh lately following her.

Meanwhile, through the Rubble, Snow finds Gadot, unconscious. Snow gets Gadot into a sitting position, then starts slapping him. "Come on. Come on!"

Gadot regains conscious. Gadot feels some pain on his shoulder, but then looks around noticing corpses everywhere. Both PSICOM and helpless citizens. "What about the others?" Gadot asks. Snow doesn't say anything. He just looks away and sighs. "They didn't die! They couldn't have died!"

"Of course not." Snow says. Gadot gets back on his feet, then relocates his shoulder, lifting the pain.

"Hey, get a grip, man! What's wrong with you?" Gadot asks.

Snow doesn't say anything, but the words both the mother and I said to him just echoes into his head.

'Get him home…please.'

'It's people like you who don't give shit about anything'

"'Get him home'…Get who home? …You really think I don't care about anything?"

Just then, an explosion happens. Snow and Gadot turn to see one of the airships is damaged and then falls. "Toss me that." Gadot says.

Snow kneels down and picks up a gun, then tosses it to Gadot. "Catch." Gadot catches the gun, but then he aims it at Snow. Snow is surprised to see this. "What are you doing?"

"So what are you afraid of, huh? You're suppose to be the hero." Gadot says. Gadot puts the gun away then gives a single chuckle. "She's waiting there, ain't she? Your lovely bride-to-be. Isn't it about time you picked her up?"

Snow looks up at the Fal'Cie, then nods at Gadot. "Yeah." Snow hears some Velocycles coming his way, then he and Gadot take cover. PSICOM mounting the Velocycles flies past them. Snow and Gadot keeps their eyes on the Velocycle and sees where they land from a distance. Snow gets an idea in his head. "There's our ride."

Gadot just laughs. "Now you're talking."

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

While Snow and Gadot are doing their thing, I make my way through the bridge and Rubble, trying to find my way to the Pulse Fal'Cie. The bridge isn't what I was expecting. There's nothing but dead bodies of the PSICOM soldiers, and I certainly don't recall being on this bridge. I have a feeling this is Lightning's doing.

But alas, when I look ahead, my theory changed. I see the NORA members. I feel disappointed, in both ways. It's NORA and it isn't Lightning. After my fight with Snow, NORA is the last team I'll want to run into today.

I just go ahead and walk up to them. They al see me, and is surprised. "Oh hey, it's you." Maqui says. "Where's Snow?"

I just walk past the team. "I don't know and I don't care." I say with a cold tone.

"Whoa, slow down there, tiger." Lebreau says.

"Yeah. Aren't you his partner?" Yuj says.

I just turn and glared at the NORA team. "He's not my partner! He's not even my friend!" I continue walking until I read the end of the bridge. I look up at the Pulse Fal'Cie, wondering how I'm gonna get inside. Just then, Yuj walks up and stands next to me.

"You're trying to get into that thing?" Yuj asks.

I turn to face Yuj. "Yeah. What's it to you?"

"Nothing, it's just our boss is after someone in there." Yuj says.

"Humph. Figures. He gets Serah captured and now he's trying to break her out of it." I say.

Yuj sounds a bit surprised to hear that. "You're after Serah too? Then why don't you work with Snow if you two are after the same goal?"

I turn to face Yuj. "First of all, I will not with Snow for all the Gil on Cocoon!"

"You just did-"

I get a grip on Yuj's collar and lifts him off of his feet. "Mention that little mistake and you'll regret it!" Yuj doesn't say anything, then I release him from my grip. "Secondly, Serah is my friend. What kind of a friend would I be to leave her in the hands of PSICOM and the fal'Cie?"

"Hmm, I see what you mean." Yuj says. "So, are you here on your own?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm on this mission with her sister."

"Ah, yes…Lightning." Yuj says. "Where is she anyway?"

"That's what I'm wondering." I say, looking up at the Pulse Fal'Cie. "We got separating during the pick up of the Purge. I was suppose to meet her inside that Pulse Fal'Cie…If only I can figure out how to get in there…"

* * *

Snow and Gabot fights their way through the bridge, then they finally arrive at the PSICOM patrollers with the Velocycles. They hide behind a large create, watching the soldiers.

"I want every weapon ready to fire. Stay sharp." The commander says.

Snow and Gadot moves back, then Snow turns his head over his shoulder, facing Gadot. "All right, on my god."

Gadot nods. "Right."

Snow holds out his hand, with three fingers out, then two, then one. "Go!"

Gadot starts charging in, shooting at the PSICOM soldiers. Two soldiers gets killed, then Snow starts charging in. Snow punches the soldiers hard, knocks out one of them. The two remain officers shoots at Gadot and Snow. Gadot shoots back and kills one of them, then Snow punches the last one, knocking him out.

Snow and Gadot sees the Velocycle's and approaches them. Gadot gets on one of them and turns it on. The Velocycle starts floating off of the ground. "That's a sad sound." Gadot says. "Where's the soul?"

Snow gets on the other one and gets on. Snow looks up at the Pulse Fal'Cie. After looking, Snow turns on the Velocycle. "Hey Gadot."

Gadot turns to face Snow. "Yeah?"

"If you don't know who you've got to save, you just protect them all, right?" Snow asks.

Gadot just humphs at the question. "Something on your mind?" Snow doesn't answer. "You got plenty of time for thinking on the way…Hero."

Snow gives a single nod. "Yeah." Snow and Gadot get their Velocycle's in the air and starts riding.

Moments later, me and the NORA members are hanging on the bridge. When we spot the two Velocycles. We all arm ourselves to fight, when a voice hits us. "Hey!" the Velocycles lands on the edge of the bridge. the Nora members stands down, but I just sent my arrow directly at Snow. Nearly took out his head. "Hey! It's us, it's us!"

I lower my bow, and give Snow a cold glare. "I know!"

I walk off to the edge on the side of the bridge, and look at the Pulse Fal'Cie. Maqui waves at Gadot and Snow and runs toward them. "Snow!" The rest of the NORA members walks up to them. Gadot gets off of his Velocycle, but Snow stays in his. Gadot stands next to Snow.

"Since when do you care about kids?" Gadot asks.

I turn my head, facing the group form hearing that. "Like he ever does!" I shout at them, then return my attention to the Pulse Fal'Cie.

Snow looks at me, looking guilty, then returns to Gadot. "Favor for a friend." Snow says.

Hearing that made the mothers final words echo in my head. 'Get him home…please.' Like I should trust Snow to do the favor. I do however wonder how the boy is doing. Where is he? Is he safe? Is he still alive? I only hope so.

Maqui runs up to Snow. "Hey, Snow! You made it!"

Yuj and Lebreau also gather around. "So, you really manage to use that thing?" Snow asks Maqui.

Just then, Vanille and Hope arrives. They see snow and the NORA members, then me away from them. "Nah, I think I'm done." Maqui answers.

"You're done when we are." Snow says.

Hope looks at Snow, who's in the Velocycle. "That's the one."

Vanille stands next to Hope, then looks at me. "What about him? Wasn't he there too?"

Hope turns to look at me. He wonders about me, and then thinks about the promise I made to him. "Yeah…him too."

"Didn't you have something to tell them?" Vanille asks.

Hope gives a small, single nod. "Yeah."

"All right then!" Vanille says.

Hope starts to have second thoughts. "But…I…"

Vanille faces Hope. "I'll go with you."

Hope looks at Vanille with confusion. "What?"

Vanille just smiles. When I'm done looking at the Fal'Cie, I turn around. I see Vanille and Hope, and then look a little surprise. "Kids? What are they…doing here?" Those two kids look familiar. Especially the boy. I walk towards them, but then stopped hearing the conversion NORA's having.

"Everyone safe?" Snow asks.

I turn and face the group, then see Maqui and Yuj doing some silly pose. "The army's no match for NORA!" They both said.

I just sigh hearing that. "I meant the kids?" Snow says.

Lebreau just playfully slap Yuj on the back of his head. "Grow up!"

Yuj just laughs, then regains his balance. "All accounted for."

'All accounted for' I wonder if they're talking about Vanille and Hope, since those two are standing right there.

"Okay. Let's keep it that way, all right?" Snow says.

Vanille gives Hope a shove. "Go on!"

The sound of shoving and stumping forward catches my hears. I turn to face the kids. Vanille's giving Hope the shove. _What are they doing?_ I thought.

Hope just stands there, all worried. Vanille puts her hands on her hips and walks past Hope, shouting to the group. "Hey!"

That accent! Hearing that made my eyes widen open. I heard it once, when I made the promise to the boy. She's the same girl, who's silly. And that boy…If they're together then…would that mean he's-

My thoughts become interrupted by the sound of a Velocycle turning on. I covered my ears from the sound, and Vanille and Hope does the same. I turn to see snow's getting ready to take off.

"I'll swing by the Vestige. Keep the kids out of trouble." Snow says.

"You got it. Say hi to the misses for me." Gadot says.

'Misses' Hearing that just make my anger rise. Why? Why the hell would Serah want to marry that doofus? What does she see in him? Does she have any idea the kind of person Snow is? What he's done to me over the years? What would she think if she found out what he's done to the mother of a helpless little boy?

"You go skirt-chasing, I take care of the kids. Some husband." Gadot says.

Even though that's suppose to be a joke, it now makes me wonder what he's gonna do when he and Serah had kids. I have a funny feeling he wouldn't help her take care of them. I'm not gonna wait to find out.

"Dinners on me." Snow says.

"Better be home cooking." Gadot says.

"When's the wedding, lover boy?" Yuj asks.

"Don't worry. None of you are invited." Snow says.

"Good! Like I ever want to go anywhere when you're around!" I shout at Snow. The NORA members give me an awkward look, then return to Snow. The Velocycle rises into the skies.

"Catch ya later!" Snow says, then he takes off on his Velocycle.

Now that he's gone, I can return my attention to the kids. But then Gadot and the rest of the NORA members came to me. "Hey! What's your deal man?" Gadot asks me.

While me and the NORA members are talking, Hope and Vanille walk up to the other Velocycle. Vanille takes a look at the Velocycle while Hope slowly walks up to it and her. Hope stands next to Vanille. Vanille faces Hope, noticing a sad expression on his face.

"Hm? You okay?" She asks sweetly.

"I want to tell him, it's just that…" Hope grabs Vanilles wrist, but doesn't say anything else. Vanille looks at Hope and offers a small smile. She looks at the Velocycle then back at Hope.

"Say, you know how to fly this." Vanille asks him.

Hope looks at the Velocycle in front of him, thinking. "…Yeah. I think so."

"All right!" Vanille cheers. Vanille gets behind Hope and playfully pushes him in. "In you go!"

Hope falls on the drivers seat, then Vanille sits right behind him. Vanille points her arm directly at the Pulse Fal'Cie. "That way!"

Hope looks at the Pulse Fal'Cie, but then becomes interrupted when he feels Vanille wrapping her arms around his waist, and hovers her head over his shoulder. Hope feels awkward about this, but then starts to worry about this whole thing.

"No, no…" Hope looks down, and Vanille looks at Hope with hidden concern. "If we go in there, that thing could…it could makes us l'Cie." Vanille feels worried for Hope. "This is…I don't think I can-"

Vanille reaches past Hope and grabs the handlebars of the Velocycle.

Meanwhile, I have the conversion with the NORA members. "I'm mad at Snow because of many reasons. But to top it all: I broke a promise because of him! I promised a little boy to keep his mother safe, and she died because of him."

"I get what you mean, but I don't see why you should be mad at Snow." Yuj says.

I still looked away, but exhaled through my nose. "What happened was-"

"What are you two doing?" Gadot shouts. That surprised me. I look to see Gadot facing and running at the end of the bridge. I look at where he's heading to see Vanille and Hope on the Velocycle.

"What the-" I start running towards them. "Hey! Get off of that thing!"

Vanille and Hope looks back to see me and Gadot chasing after them. "Here we go!"

Hope turns on the Velocycle. instantly, the Velocycle is twenty feet in the air. By the time me and Gadot are right under the Velocycle, it starts flying around like it's out of control. The Velocycle starts flying down, and I can hear the girl screaming. Me and Gadot stand by the edge and look down, searching for them. Then they just rush back up, startling us. Gadot falls back, but I just take a step back.

The Velocycle is floating right in front of us, just about six feet. "Get back here! Do you hear me?" Gadot shouts at them. "Hey!"

I know I have to do something before they put themselves into danger. Just when I hear the Velocycle is about to take off, I jump towards it. At the same time I grab hold of the Velocycle, dangling from underneath it, they take off, heading towards the Pulse Fal'Cie.

At least there's a bright side to this: I'm heading towards my destination. But it's not enough to overcome the dark side of this.


	3. The Pulse Vestige

A/N: This is chapter two of the story, where the characters and I are inside the Pulse Fal'Cie, where our destinies change forever. Remember, I don't own Final Fantasy XIII, I should also tell there's an event that's gonna happen. The event doesn't really in the game, though I thought it would be interesting. I'll let you know where it begins. if you haven't played the game, you should give it a shot.

Chapter 2: The Pulse Vestige

If there's one thing I've learned about this joyride, is that it's not really a joyride when there's a kid behind the wheel. We crash land right through the walls of the Pulse Fal'Cie. The impact was pretty rough. I'm use to stuff like this, but I hope the kids are all right.

Hope, Vanille and I lay unconscious on the ground. Hope is laying on top of Vanille, mostly his face on her back, while I'm laying near the Velocycle. I regain conscious, and then slowly get on my hands and knees. I carefully get on my feet. I turn to see the Velocycle. It's in bad shape, probably wouldn't run very well anymore. Or at least wouldn't get too far, which basically means we wouldn't be able to escape this place in either condition it's in.

While I was checking out the Velocycle, Vanille and Hope starts waking up. "Wow, that was close." Vanille says.

I turn to see the two kids. Hope's all ready on his knees, while Vanilles starting to get up. She wipes the dust off of her arms. "Now, where is the…" Vanille stands and turns. She sees me and the Velocycle.

I look back at the Velocycle. "It's pretty broken. It won't run anymore."

"Oops." Vanille says.

I look back at them and then walk up to them. "Yeah…Oops." I say. "What on Cocoon were you two thinking? Riding a Velocycle and flying to the Pulse Fal'Cie like that?"

"You wouldn't understand." Hope says to me.

His voice, I recognize it. I widen my eyes in shock from hearing his voice, and then when I look at him, his face…he's the one. The little boy I promised to take care of his mother.

"Well then…" Vanille turns, looking around the area. "Guess it's…just us."

"What did you expect?" Hope asks. Vanille turns to look at Hope. "Even soldiers know not to go near the Fal'Cie."

"Not really." I say, walking around. "She's here…somewhere."

"Who?" Vanille asks.

"My partner…She was a soldier, and she is in here somewhere. I'm suppose to meet her here for a mission." I say.

"Her? You mean…that man isn't…" Vanille doesn't say anything else.

Hearing that just makes me clinch my fists. "He's not my partner! He's not even my friend! …Not after what he's done."

Hope gasps a little hearing that, then looks up to me. "What…do you mean?"

I turn back, looking at Hope. I walk up then kneel down to his level. "Listen. You're mother…she didn't make it." I say with a sorrow in my tone. "I'm sorry…I tried to save her but…I couldn't." Hope just looks sad hearing all this. "It's all because of him…He dragged her into this. He was her only chance of surviving the fall…but…he just didn't care!"

I can feel my anger rising, I can tell Hope might be feeling the same thing. "Why…why is this happening to me?" Hope says, in deep depression and anger.

Vanille kneels down and hugs Hope. "It'll be okay." Vanille says.

Hope just shoves Vanille. "Leave me alone." Hope says.

"Listen kid. Your mother. Before she died. She asked one last favor." Hope looks up at me. "She asked me to take you home, and that's what I'm gonna do."

Hope doesn't say anything, he just looks down, all sad. "Okay." He whispers.

I offer a small smile. "Aww. That's so sweet." Vanille says. I look at Vanille. I stand up, in front of her, and give her a flick on the head. She says 'ow' at first, but then laughs.

"You're crazy, girl. You know that?" I say, walking a few feet ahead.

"We still shouldn't be here. You become a Pulse l'Cie, and you're finished." Hope says.

"What do you mean 'finished'?" Vanille asks.

I turn and look at the two kids. "Haven't you heard, miss…?"

"Vanille."

Hope looks at Vanille, confused. "Huh?"

"My name." Vanille offers Hope a hand. "And yours?"

Hope takes Vanilles hand. "Hope." Vanille helps Hope stand. When he's standing, Vanille brushes off the dust from his hair, shoulders and jacket. "Thank you."

Vanille just giggles. "What were we thinking?" Hope asks.

Me and Vanille looks at him, then Vanille thinks for a moment. "Well, since we're here, let's look around."

Hope seems to have doubts about that idea. "I don't think that's a good idea." I say. "I don't want to put you two in danger."

Vanille faces me, with a grumpy look. "Oh. What about you? Aren't you suppose to be on some mission?"

I just sigh in annoyance, been played out by a child. "All right. We're look around, but stay close to me."

Vanille giggles then skips off. Me and Hope follows behind her.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning and Sazh arrives at a sealed gate inside the Pulse Vestige. The gate is sealed with the mark of a l'Cie glowing red.

"So, here we are. What now?" Sazh asks.

Lightning walks to a wall. "We wait." She leans against the wall with her arms crossed.

Sazh looks surprised. "What? Really? We just sit and wait?"

"My partner." Lightning looks up at Sazh. "I'm suppose to meet him here."

"Oh…right." Sazh looks around the hallway they're in. "Guess he's running a little late."

"Well, he better hurry up." Lightning says, facing the sealed gate.

Sazh just sits down on the ground, across from Lightning. They don't say anything. "So…your partner. Friend of yours?"

"Not really." Lightning says.

"Oh, don't like him very much?" Sazh asks.

"Kind of, he is a Mercenary, but it's not that. I just met him yesterday. I didn't get to know him much, but we do have a common goal." Lightning says.

"The Pulse Fal'Cie?" Sazh asks.

"Right." Lightning looks down the hallway, seeing nothing and no one is coming. "Where is he?"

A few minutes have passed. Sazh is starting to get bored. Lightning sighs and walks towards the gate. "Well, I'm not waiting around any longer."

Lightning stands in front of the gate. "What? Hey, you sure you don't want to wait a little more? I mean…he could just be running a little late."

"He passed a little late when we arrived." Lightning says.

Lightning takes out her gunblade, in sword form, and start striking the sealed gate.

* * *

Me and the kids walk up the first set of stairs in the Pulse Vestige. Vanille is taking lead, I feel embarrassed following a kid. Vanille walks up to some machine statue. "Oh, check this out!"

Vanille rushes around the statue, me and Hope follows her. "Hey!" We catch up to see she's climbed on the platform the statue stands on. "Vanille! Where are you-"

Vanille starts jumping, as if she's trying to reach something. I cross my arms in front of my chest, wondering what that girl's up to. People like her, you can almost never tell what goes on in their little heads.

Vanille grabs something and jumps off the statue. All she has in her hands is some kind of binding rod. Vanille swings it around and does some silly movements. Can't tell if she's dancing or just being silly. Either way, it's pathetic. Then she stands in place. "Well?"

Hope is a bit confused. "That's…uh." Hope doesn't know what to say.

"It's a…stick?" I wonder.

Vanille continues with her silly movements and swinging that rod around. While she does, something captures my ears. I turn around and take a look around. I see nothing, but then I see some Pantheron standing on a pillar. The Pantheron jumps and lands on the top of the stairs, then growls.

I take out my bow and load it with an arrow. Vanille stands next to me with her weapon. She's really gonna fight with a stick? This should be fun. I see Hope standing next to me, as he takes out some kind of…boomerang? The kid's really gonna fight with a boomerang? …Well, I can't blame him. He's probably not much suited for combat.

I load my bow with an arrow and shoot it at the Pantheron. Vanille is about to strike. Just when I was about to stop her, her weapon…it started launching about six steel bowlers with wires as a fishing line. Whoa! The steel bowlers wraps around the creature. Vanille pushes a button on the stick, and it causes the wires to rill back into the stick. When that happens, the wires and the steel bowlers causes the creature to get slashed in many places.

I'm impressed. "Wow…That's some stick."

Vanille just laughs, and holds the stick in front of me. "It's a binding rod, silly. It's like a fishing pole."

I get a good look at the binding rod. "I'll say."

Vanille folds the binding rod and hangs it right behind her. "Okay! Back to exploring!"

Vanille walks up to the next set of stairs. "Better say close." Hope says.

"Yeah, what the kid said." I say.

Me and Hope follows Vanille. As we do some 'exploring around', we ran into some enemies. It's not much, just a bunch of Zwerg Droid's and Razorclaws. Me and Vanille did most of the fighting, while Hope just stands back and throws his boomerang.

After our last battle, we climb through some rubble. Either it's the rubble from our crashing or it's always been here. After I got pasted, I stay by the rubble to make sure Hope made it. He's a little slow and rusty. I'm guessing this kid don't have much stamina.

When he makes it though the rubble, we catch up with Vanille, and continue on.

"Aren't you scared?" Hope asks me and Vanille.

"Hmm, not so much." Vanille answers.

"Not likely. I've been through worse." I answered.

Hope just sighs. "You really don't get it." Hope just stops, I stop as well, looking at the kid.

"What's not to get?" I ask.

Vanille stops as well, she turns with her hands on her hips, giving Hope a seriously look, then walks up to him. "Pulse fal'Cie and l'Cie are bad news. That's way Cocoon kicked them out. Live too close to the fal'Cie? One-way ticket to Pulse! That's the Purge in a nutshell."

I just smile a little, surprised. "Well. Look who's staying awake in school." I say, teasing Vanille.

"If they catch us here, they'll Purge us too. And then-"

Vanille interrupts Hope. "What's your problem."

Hope just looks upset, as if he knows the problem and Vanille doesn't. "What's my-Pulse is hell on earth!"

Hope and Vanille doesn't say anything. Vanille just thinks for a moment, then she gives Hope a comforting hug. "We'll be okay. Calm down." Vanille gently pats Hope on the back.

Hope just pulls himself out of the hug. "Get off me." Hope walks off.

"Ouch. That's gotta sting." I say to Vanille.

Vanille just looks at Hope, sighing. Just then, Snow voice echoes loudly. "Serah?!" We were all startled from hearing him. "Can you hear me?! Where are you!?"

Vanille and I gathered around Hope. "What was that?" Vanille asks.

I clinch my fist. "He's here!" I say in an anger tone.

Meanwhile, Snow arrives at House of Stairs. "Don't worry, Serah. Your hero is on his way." Snow says. Snow walks up ahead, heading downwards on multiple stairs, then he arrives at some switch. "Wonder what that's for." Snow pushes the button and the glass turns from green to orange. Some other glass tubes glows orange, and then the floors and stairs floating around starts shifting and moving.

When it was all done, the mark of the l'Cie in the end of the room glasses brightly, then fades. Meanwhile, Sazh is still sitting around, watching Lightning trying to break that door open. No progress has been made at all.

Lightning just stops, standing in front of the gate. "Still won't budge?" Sazh asks. Lightning just stands there, doing nothing in silence. Sazh stands up. "I think the door is winning."

"Why didn't I listen?" Lightning says.

Sazh looks confused. "Uh, beg your pardon?"

Lightning places a hand on the gate, then removes her hand from it. "It was me…this is my fault."

"Beg your pardon?" Sazh repeats.

"Cover your ears." Lightning orders.

Sazh is on the alert. "Oh, blast charge? Hold on, hold on!" Sazh makes a run for it, stops at a great distance, then gets on his knees with his hands on his ears. "All right, go for it! Make it happen!"

Lightning places a hand on the gate again, this time, directly on the l'Cie mark. "I'm so sorry." Lightning stares directly at the large mark. "Please let me in…please." Lightning pleads.

Just then, a small rumble happens, and the l'Cie mark stops glowing, then the gate opens. Sazh gets on his feet and walks up to Lightning. "What the-hey!" Sazh is surprised to see the gate is open. "What did-how'd you open it?" Lightning doesn't answer. She just walks in. "After you."

Sazh follows Lightning. Behind him, the gate closes. Lightning and Sazh makes their way down the Ambulatory. When they arrive at the stairs, a group of Pantherons starts running down the stairs towards them. Sazh shoots the Pantherons from a distance, while Lightning cuts them down with her gunblade. After defeating the creatures, Lightning and Sazh walks up the stairs.

When they reach the second floor, they see a large Tilter guarding the next set of stairs. Lightning charges at the robot, shifting her weapon into a gun, and shoots at it while running. When she became in range of the robot, she jump flies over it, shifts her weapon into a sword and slashes it as she lands behind it.

The robot falls apart and then Lightning and Sazh continues their path. "If those things are still around, might be some soldiers trapped in here, too." Sazh says. "Except they'd probably be l'Cie by now, not even human anymore. Just Pulse l'Cie. Enemies of Cocoon…Can't show them any mercy."

Lightning doesn't say anything. Meanwhile, Snow walks around in the House of Stairs. He spots another switch not too far ahead. "There's the next one." Snow approaches on the switch and pushes the button. Like before, the glass tube turns orange, and then a platform elevator appears on the path in front of Snow. "All right!"

Snow runs down that path, stands on the elevator and the elevator goes down. "Hang on baby! Your hero's on the way!"

His words echoes down to where me, Vanille and Hope are at. Hearing that just makes my blood boil. He calls himself a hero. Ha! What a joke. Just out of nowhere, a set of stairs raises out of the ground in front of us, opening a path.

Hope looks up at the ceilings. "He is here." Hope looks down. "Calling himself a hero."

I walk up to Hope, standing next to him. "He's a doofus to call himself that. He's an insult to all heroes. He's really more of a zero." I say.

Vanille walks up to Hope. "He's coming our way."

I turn to face Vanille. "Then we should try to avoid him, he'll do nothing but get in our way." Hope looks at me, then at Vanille.

"What should I do?" Hope asks.

"Tell him what you need to." Vanille says.

I wonder what she meant by that, then I realize: His mother. "But nothing I say will change what happened."

I sigh hearing that. He's not wrong. Knowing Snow, he still wouldn't bother to fulfill her last favor. "We could just run away."

I look at Vanille. "Run away? But you're the one who wants to look around." I say.

Vanille looks at me with a serious look, her hands on her hips. "Oh you! You can stay if you want. Aren't you on some kind of mission?"

I say nothing, feeling speechless from the girl, then she and Hope goes on ahead. I just sigh, shake my head and go ahead and follow them. We make our way towards a gate down the hallway. When we past the gate, all there is in the next room is a single pathway.

We walk down that pathway until we reached a center four-way path. At the center, we walked around it, looking around. "Whoa." Hope seems a bit impressed. But alas, that moment was ruined by the deifying sound of painful, monstrous screeching.

We all at the pathways to the left and right, and we see zombie like creatures walking towards us. They somehow manage to pass through the electric gates as if they don't feel the pain. Hope starts to look really worried.

We all gather together, back to back. "What are they?" Hope asks.

"Cie'th! l'Cie who failed." Vanille explains. "This is what happens when l'Cie don't complete the Focus the Fal'Cie gave them."

I clinch my fists from hearing that, feeling my anger boil. Hearing that just being back another one of my dark memories. "They're monsters…" I said in silence, as if only the wind could hear it.

The Cie'th arrives right in front of us, surrounding us. "Vanille…" Vanille turns her head to look at me. she sees me taking out of my bow. "Protect Hope."

"What about you?" Vanille asks.

"I'll take care of them." I aim my loaded bow at the line of Cie'th that's blocking the middle path, the only path the Cie'th aren't coming from. When that path is clear, Vanille grabs Hopes hand and they run down that clear path.

I stand in place, surrounded by the monsters. I don't know if I'll win this fight, but I will not give up, not again.

Just when I was about to fight, I hear someone yelling, as if they're about to charge in. Just like that, I see Snow running from the path we came in. He fights his way through the Cie'th in front of him, and joins me in the center.

"Villiers!" I say in disapproval.

Vanille and Hope are surprised to see Snow, even through they can hardly see what's going on with the Cie'th blocking their view. "Let's even these odds!"

I slap Snow in the back of his head. "I don't need your 'help'! Stay out of this!" I shout at him.

I see some of the Cie'th drawing closer. I shoot my arrows at the Cie'th. One-by-one, these monsters fall. Behind me, I can hear Snow fighting off the Cie'th. The sound of his fists pounding them.

One of the Cie'th draws close behind me. I turn around to see how close it is. Just when it's about to attack me, it was struck, by Vanille's binding rod. The Cie'th falls and I can see Vanille running towards me. Vanille stands next to me, holding her weapon up high.

"Vanille, what are you doing?" I ask.

"I'm fighting!" Vanille launches her binding rod at more of the Cie'th. At this point, I know there's no way I can tell her to not fight. I just go with it.

(A/N: Here's where the different event begins)

As we fight of the Cie'th, I often check on Hope. He's all right, still safe. He just sits in the corner all scared and helpless. The poor kid. I can hear the sounds of explosion happening right behind me. I look to see it's just Snow throwing off grenades at the Cie'th. My eyes are set to one of them, and it lands right behind Vanille, who's near the edge.

"Vanille!" BOOM!

The grenade explodes, and I hear Vanille screaming. "Vanille!" I hear Hope shouting. Hope rushes through the clear path from where he's at to the damaged area. Hope looks down to find Vanille hanging a few feet down. Vanille looks scared as she looks down to see nothing but darkness, then she looks up to see Hope. "Hang on!"

"Hope!" Vanille shouts. Just then, the pipe Vanille holds on to starts breaking. Hope starts to worry, and then the pipe snaps. Vanille screams as she falls, but at the same time it happens, I run past Hope and jump down, diving in a straight position, head first to fall faster.

I hold on to a rope, which is tied to one of my arrows I left behind. As I get closer and closer to Vanille, I reach my hand out to her. When the rope reaches it's length limit, the arrow starts falling, until the end and the tip hits the corner of the railing, preventing from falling.

Just when that happens, I grab Vanille's hand, and start dangling. Vanille looks down, panting like crazy, then she looks up at me. "I got yea!" I tell her. As Snow fights off the remaining Cie'th, I look up to find Hope looking down at us. "We're okay!" I lift Vanille up until she's right on my back. "Grab on, kid."

Vanille is right on my back. She wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I start climbing up. Snow finishes off the Cie'th, then looks around to see everyone missing. He spots Hope on the edge, and walks up to him.

"Hey, kid. What's going on?" Snow is right next to Hope and looks down to see me and Vanille. "Hey! You guys okay?" Snow shouts at us.

I look up at Snow, with an angry face, but still climbing. "No we're not, you big oaf!" I shout at him! "You almost killed Vanille with your recklessness!" Just then, the arrow is starting to bend, slowly breaking. "I swear, Villiers: when I get up there, I'm gonna punch you into last week! No wait, that's not enough. I'm gonna punch you into last month! And when you're lucky enough to make it to this day, I'm gonna take my dagger and shove it right up your-"

The sound of a snap interrupts me. I quickly look up to find the rope falling. We were only halfway up and it breaks. Me and Vanille go back to falling. Hope reaches down for us and screams. "No!"

Hope watches us until the darkness engulfs us. Hope could not believe what just happened. "Oh well, I'm sure they'll be okay." Snow says, starting to walk off.

"Okay? Is that what you really think!?" Hope says in anger. Snow stops and turns around to face him. Hope does the same. "What is your problem!? You call yourself a hero when all you've ever done it hurt others!"

"Take it easy, kid. What's your problem?" Snow says. Hope doesn't say anything, just speechless engulfed in his sorrow and anger. Snow walks up to Hope, reaching out for him. "Hey, kid-"

Hope backs up. "No! Just leave me alone!" Hope starts running off.

"He-hey! Kid!" Snow doesn't bother to chase after Hope. He just watches him leave, and then takes off in a different direction.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

After the fall, I lay on unconscious on the rubble. Vanille is on her knees beside me. She puts her hands on my shoulders and gently shakes me. "Hey, hey. Wake up!" Nothing happens, just a moan escapes from my mouth, then Vanille gives me a hard slap. From that, I responded by giving a single ow, then start waking up. "Mister? You all right?"

I move to a sitting position. "Never better." I answered. As I sit, I take a look around. We're in some hallway with only a single path. The path behind us it blocked by a bunch of rubble.

"Um..." I look at Vanille, to see she's holding out my hat in front of her and me. "Here."

I take the hat. "Thanks." I wipe the dust off of the hat and put it back on. I stand up, so does Vanille, and then I look up with an angry look. "Villiers! I should have known this would have happened. How could I have been so blind?"

I slam my fist on the wall. Vanille looks a little concern at me, then I walk up ahead for a few feet. "Well. Guess we have to find a way to get back to where we were."

"Oh, you mean look around?" Vanille asks.

I turn and looked at her, seeing nothing but that silly smile on her face. Sometimes, I don't understand how that girl can be all happy in situations like this. "Uh…sure I guess."

Vanille giggles. She skips right behind me and starts pushing me. "Then let's go."

"Wha-hey!" I say as she pushes me.

We walk down the hallway. This time, I take point. Don't want the girl to lead us into any trouble, much like she did back there before our fall. As we walk, Vanille suddenly stops. "Um…" She doesn't say anything else. After about three seconds of silence, I stop and turned to face her. She's just looking down with her hands together, just her index fingers and pinkies out, then she looks up at me with a smile. "Thank you for…trying to save me."

"Humph…don't mention it." I say. I turn back around, facing the path ahead of us. I just stand there for a moment, just as I moved forward...

"Hey, why is it…you don't like him?" Vanille asks.

I stop on my tracks hearing that. I say nothing for a moment, but then I answered anyways. "Snow Villiers. He's a big doofus." I turn to face Vanille. "He only cares about himself, and always fights recklessly. If he hadn't, we wouldn't be in this situation, and neither would Serah."

"Oh, you know Serah?" Vanille asks.

I nod. "She's my friend, and also my partner's sister." I answered. "And, unfortunately, Snow's fiancée. Of course, I always question why she's marrying that doofus." There's nothing but silence coming from between the two of us, then I break it. "It's not the only reason though. Snow's a bitter judge of character. He thinks I'm one person when I'm really not."

"What does he see you as?" Vanille asks.

"Can't tell yea."

Vanille walks up to me and grabs my hands. "Aww, what's wrong? Don't you trust me?" Vanille says with that innocent smile and tone.

I just pull my hands off of hers. "Not really. You're just too young to know about it." I say, flicking her forehead. I continue walking ahead, then Vanille runs up to me.

"Hey, wait up!" Vanille says.

Vanille and I enter a large room. I see prison holds, mostly destroyed, and Razorclaws and Zwerg Droids fighting off the Cie'th. "Oh. What's this?" Vanille asks, looking around.

"Looks like a prison hold. Probably to contain the Cie'th." I say, remembering those electric gates those Cie'th was walking past. I'm guessing they were meant to keep them locked in, in case they escape. Me and Vanille are about to charge in, but then a loud roar catches my ears. I stop, and hold my arm out, blocking Vanille.

We look up to see some giant Cie'th, a Shambling Cie'th I believe, landing on the ground. The monster is about two and a half times my size. The impact causes a powerful force to blow away the other Cie'th and the Razorclaws and Zwerg Droids. Me and Vanille stand our ground, resisting the powerful force.

When the force was gone, we look to see the giant Cie'th standing in the middle of the room. "Th-that's a big Cie'th!" Vanille says, all surprised.

"The bigger they are." I whispered to myself.

I take out my bow and start charging in. Vanille follows me from behind. "Wait up!"

We stand right in front of the giant Cie'th, and fight it. Vanille just launches the Steel Bowlers at the monster while I shoot it with my arrows. The monster is pretty hard to fight. The giant Cie'th raises its big arm and slams it on the ground, causing a small quake. The rumbling makes me and Vanille lose our balance. Vanille just falls on her bottom while I regain my balance.

I continue shooting at the giant Cie'th with my arrows. Vanille gets back on her feet and continues attacking at well. The Cie'th smashes at me with it's big arm, knocking me against the wall. I drink a potion to restore health and continue fighting.

The battle was rough, but finally we've brought the Cie'th onto it's knees. Vanille and I attacked the monster at it's head, at the same time. And then the creature just collapses. After that, we put away our weapons and Vanille sits down sighing in a cheerful tone. I just go ahead and walk off in a different path.

"What? No break?" Vanille asks.

"There's no time." I say, still walking.

Vanille gets back on her feet and skips towards me. As we walk down the hallway, Vanille stops.

"Did you really mean it?"

I turn to face her. "Mean what?"

"What you said to Hope…about getting him home?" Vanille asks.

I can feel my expression soften from hearing that. "Yes…I did. I made a promise to his mother that I would get him home."

"But why?" Vanille asks. "I mean. I'm not saying it's a bad thing or anything but…why? Do you have a reason why you're doing this?"

I look down, and grab hold of my necklace. "Because…I…I lost my mother."

I can feel myself breaking, thinking back about what happened. But that was interrupted when I feel Vanille wrapping her arms around me. I look back to see her head resting on my back, then I shove her off of me.

"Enough talking. We need to find Hope and Serah." I say, moving on once again.

* * *

Lightning and Sazh walks down the bridge they stand on. "What's gotten into you soldier." Sazh asks. "I thought you came for a fight." Lightning stops walking doing that sentence.

"My sister…" Lightning pauses, and Sazh looks at her curiously.

"Your sister?" Sazh asks.

"She's a l'Cie."

Sazh is surprised to hear that. "What? A Pulse l'Cie?"

There was nothing but silence for a moment. "The fal'Cie has her captive…But I'll find her."

"Uh…is she still-" Lightning moves forward, but Sazh rushes in front of her. "What was her focus? When she became a l'Cie, what did the fal'Cie order her to do?" Sazh looks a little worried moving on to the next sentence. "It wasn't 'blow up Cocoon' or anything like that, was it?"

"I didn't ask." Lightning answers.

Just then, an eerie sound happens. Lightning and Sazh looks up the stairs in front of them, a large door with the mark of a l'Cie. The mark glows, and then fades and the door opens, with an army of Cie'th in the hallway. Nothing else happens. "Listen to me. When a person gets cursed by a fal'Cie, they become a l'Cie. Then they get given a Focus, right?" Lightning doesn't say anything, just looks away a little, not even sure what to say. Sazh just sighs. "How do I put this? If they don't carry it out, l'Cie end up as one of those things…What I'm saying is, if your sister's gone that far…I mean-" Lightning starts looking away, making Sazh nervous to put this words together. "She might still…How can I…? Oh man…There's no war to turn a l'Cie back into a human. Even if she completes her Focus, there's no changing her fate. She'll live her life as a fal'Cie slave."

Hearing that just makes Lightning upset. She doesn't say anything. Sazh looks at her, to see the sorrow on her expression. "Don't make her suffer."

Lightning faces Sazh, then shoves him. "Just say it! Any l'Cie…Anyone who might ever become a l'Cie should be wiped off the face of Cocoon!" Sazh and Lightning says nothing, Lightning moves past Sazh, then stops. "It's people like you that started the Purge in the first place."

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning and Sazh stands for a moment, but then they hear something coming towards them. They look back at their tracks, with their weapons out and ready to strike, to see Hope running towards them. Hope runs up towards them and slides down on his hands and knees, panting. Sazh lowers his pistols. "Hey, it's just a kid…Wait! What's a kid doing here?"

Hope looks up at Lightning and Sazh. "…Please…help me."

Lightning just turns and walks away, heading for the stairs. Sazh looks at Lightning and tries to stop her. "He-hey! Wait! You're just gonna leave him here?"

"He'll slow us down!" Lightning says, looking back at Sazh. Lightning turns back to the stairs and notices an army of Cie'th coming towards them. Lightning holds her weapon in front of her, defending herself as she and Sazh steps back. When they reach to Hope, they hear him screaming. They look to see the Pantherons and Zwerg Droids are coming towards him.

"Great. Just what I need." Lightning says. Lightning, Sazh and Hope backs up with each other, until they're backs are touching. Completely surrounded by Cie'th, Pantherons and Zwerg Droids. Lightning looks at them fearlessly, Hope's nervous and Sazh is…well a mix of nervous and fearless.

One of the Pantherons were about to strike, until an arrow suddenly shots it, killing it. Everyone was surprised to see that, then noticing a bunch of more arrows flying down, killing more of the enemies. Lightning, Sazh and Hope looks at the direction the arrows are coming from. They see me and Vanille on higher ground at the end of the broken bridge.

Vanille waves down at them when she sees Hope. "Hi!"

"Vanille!" Hope shouts at us.

I aim my roped arrow at the ceiling and launch it. The arrow impales through the ceiling. "Get on." I say. Vanille hops on my back, holding on. I take a few steps back, then run to the end of the bridge, swinging down towards the rest of the group.

We land on the lower ground level. When we did, Vanille runs to Hope and I pull on the rope, bringing the arrow down.

"You okay?" Vanille asks.

"Yeah. I can't believe you two are alive." Hope says.

The two of them become interrupted by loud screeching. We all look up and see the large Cie'th, the one me and Vanille were fighting before, coming down. It lands right in between us and the stairs to the Cie'th hallway.

"What the heck? I thought I killed that thing!" I say. I turn my head over my shoulder, barely looking at Vanille and Hope. "Vanille, look after Hope!"

Vanille nods, then she takes Hope to the corner. Me, Lightning and Sazh take out our weapons and fight the giant Cie'th.

Lightning just runs up and strikes the thing while me and Sazh stays back at a safe distance and shoots at it with my bow and his pistols. The giant Cie'th slams it's fist on the ground. Me and Sazh lose our balance from it, but Lightning jumps on the fist and leaps on the Cie'th, until she's on its shoulder. Lightning strikes the monster on the side of its head. Me and Sazh resumes shooting at it.

The giant Cie'th attempts to hit Lightning, but Lightning jumps off at the last second, and it hits its own shoulder. Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun and shoots at the giant Cie'th as she falls. I shoot at the Cie'th, right where Lightning's shooting. The Cie'th stumbles backwards, but then it grabs me. When Lightning lands on the ground, the Cie'th stomps on her. Lightning struggles to get loose. Sazh runs up to the Cie'th, while shooting at it, then it grabs him with it's free hand.

The Cie'th holds on to me and Sazh, then it smashes us into each other, crushing us in it's hands. Vanille and Hope are seeing all this, then Vanille starts shaking Hopes arm. "Come on!"

Vanille runs to the fight, but Hope still grabs her arm and pulls her back. "Are you kidding? We can't just run in and face that thing."

"Well we can't just sit here and let them die! Would you want that to happen to her?" Hope doesn't say anything, but he does think back about what happened to his mother. She's right, he didn't want to leave her there to die, but he couldn't do anything about it. Vanille takes out her binding rod and unfolds it. "Come on!"

Hope nods and takes out his boomerang. Vanille launches the steel bowlers of her rod and Hope throws his boomerang. The wires wraps around the Cie'th body and the boomerang hits it in the head. The Cie'th turn its attention to them, it drops me and Sazh, then it slowly walks towards them, getting off of Lightning as well.

We slowly get up on our feet, trying to ease down the pain we're feeling. We each drink a potion and restore some health, then we see Vanille and Hope slowly backing away from the Cie'th. "The kids! We've got to do something." Sazh says.

I take a look at the situation, then at the rope I have, then I get an idea. "Lightning. You hit that thing high." I face Sazh. "You, run to it's left side." Sazh makes his way to the left side of the Cie'th. Lightning backs up as I get on my knees and cup my hands together. Lightning runs towards me, she steps on my hands, and when she does, she jumps while I give her a lifting boost. Afterwards, I quickly run to the right side of the Cie'th. I toss Sazh the other end of the rope, and he catches it. "Vanille. Lure that thing closer with your rod."

Vanille nods, then she pushes the button, causing the wires to rill back to the rod. The binding rod forces the Cie'th to move forward, but only a bit. Lightning lands on the back of the Cie'ths head, then stabs her gunblade in it. "Now!" Me and Sazh both pull on the rope, hard. The Cie'th stumbles forward, then it trips on the rope.

The Cie'th falls forward, but lucky thing, it was close to the corner, so it falls over the edge and down into the darkness. Before it falls, Lightning jumps off and lands back on the ground. We all walk to the edge and look down, to see nothing but darkness.

"Woo-hoo! We win!" Vanille cheers, jumping and dancing silly. I just shake my head and slap Vanille on the back of her head. "Ow! What's that for?"

"Cause you're crazy." I say.

Vanille gives me a grumpy look with her fists on her hips. "Humph!"

I turn to see Lightning is standing in front of me with a glare. "You're late!"

"I know, I'm sorry. I had a bit of a detour." I say.

Lightning folds her arms in front of her chest. "With these kids? What the hell are you doing bringing them here?"

"I didn't! It's a long story." I say. "They're not the only ones, though. Snow also slowed me down."

Lightning raised her eyebrows, looking surprised. "Snow? He's here?"

"I'm afraid so. And we better find Serah before he does." I suggest.

Vanille grabs my arm and shakes it a little. "Oh! So she's your partner?"

I turn to look at Vanille. "Yep. She is." I turn to see Sazh. "All though I see she replaced me."

Sazh waves his arms in front of him, looking nervous, even though I've made no expression or tone to make him scared. "Whoa, whoa, man! It's not what you think. I just tagged along."

"Right…" I walk over to Hope and give him a small smile while ruffling his hair with my hand. "Good to see your safe, kiddo."

Hope just shoves my hand off of him, then I turn to face Lightning at the sound of her voice. "If we're done having a reunion, we're on a mission."

Lightning walks up to the stairs, and Sazh follows her. "Right. Of course." I follow them as well, then look back at Vanille and Hope. "Come on, you two."

Vanille jumps, then she grabs Hopes arm and drags him.

* * *

Me and the others enter the hallway into another room. In the next room, it's a small single path that leads straight to a platform. In that path is a bunch of Cie'th zombies. "Someone stumbles into the wrong place at the wrong time, and all this happens." Sazh says.

"You get use to stuff like that." I say.

Me, Lightning and Sazh fight our way through the Cie'th, while Vanille stays behind us at a safe distance looking after Hope. When we made to the end of the path, we stepped on the elevator and it takes us up higher, onto the platform. As soon as we're on the floor, we see Serah laying unconscious in the middle of the floor.

"Serah!" Lightning runs up to Serah and kneels beside her, I do the same thing, only to her left side. Lightning carries Serah in her arms. "Time to go." Lightning instantly makes her leave. "We have to leave before the army-" Lightning stops right in front of Sazh, noticing a look on his face. "What?"

"That's a Pulse brand." Sazh points out. "That girl is a l'Cie."

I move right beside Serah, next to Lightning, to see her brand. My eyes widen at how it looks, we're too late. Her time is up.

"I already told you that." Lightning says.

I can see Sazh slowly reaching down for one of his pistols. "Pulse l'Cie are enemies of Cocoon."

Lightning can see what his doing, but just as he's about to take his pistol out, I grab his wrist, stopping him. "What the hell you doing, man?" I ask.

"So she should die?" Lightning asks.

"Listen, if she fails her Focus, you know how that'll end." Sazh says.

"And killing her is a mercy?" Lightning asks.

"It's not a mercy. It's just the beginning of eternal suffering!" I snap at Lightning.

Lightning was about to say something, but became interrupted when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Me and Lightning look down to see Serah waking up, looking at Lightning.

"You came…"

Lightning kneels down, gently resting her sister on her lap.

"Serah!"

We all look up to see Snow coming down on a floating elevator. I growl and clinch my fists. "Villiers!" Snow hops off midway to the floor and runs to Serah. Only when he was about three feet from her, I slam into Snow, knocking him away from Serah. Snow falls side ways. He was about to get up, only he freezes seeing me aiming a loaded bow at him.

"Stay away from Serah!" I yell at him.

"No! I want to help her!" Snow yells at me.

"Haven't you done enough damage today?" I ask.

Sazh stands next to me. "Hey man, ease up."

I glare at Sazh. "I will not ease up on Snow. You have no idea what he's done!"

I return my attention to Snow, only to see he's gone. I turn to see he's beside Serah, holding her hand. I was about to rush to them, pull him away, but then Sazh and Vanille grabs me and holds me back.

"Chill out, man!" Sazh says.

"Let it go!" Vanille says.

"Serah." Snow gently says to Serah.

"Is that…my hero?" Serah asks.

Snow holds her hand in front of his head. Lightning just angrily looks at Snow. I manage to break loose form Sazh and Vanille, then I rush to Serah. I kneel down next to her head. "Serah."

Serah looks at me. "You came too?" Serah asks.

"Of course I did. You're my friend." I say, gently stroking Serah's hair.

Serah offers me a smile.

Vanille and Hope walks up beside Snow, Vanille gasps a little seeing Serah. "We're getting you home." Snow says.

"Hands off! I'm taking her home." Lightning shoots at Snow.

"Lightning's right! You've done nothing but hurt everyone, Snow. It's best for me and Lightning to take her home." I say.

Snow looks at Lightning. "Sis, I-"

"I'm NOT your sister!" Lightning snaps at Snow. "You couldn't protect her. It's your fault she-"

"You can save us." Serah whispers to Lightning. We all look down at Serah.

"Serah?" Lightning asks.

"You can save us." Serah repeats. "Protect us all."

Me, Snow and Lightning are starting to look worried, I'm partly confused. "What is she-" I stop talking from what Serah has to say next.

"Save…Cocoon."

"Save Cocoon? That was your Focus?" Lightning asks.

"Anything! I'll do anything. Leave it to me. You'll see. I'll protect Cocoon, I'll save everyone." Snow says.

I just slap Snows face hearing that. "You can't do anything right! You'll just end up destroying Cocoon!"

Snow just looks upset at me, but I ignore it. I return my attention to Serah. "Somehow, I'll make things right." Lightning says.

"So will I." I say. "You can trust me and Lightning to save Cocoon."

Serah looks at Lightning, then at me, then at Snow and smiles at us all. "Thank you."

Serah closes her eyes, and then she starts glowing, floating out of Lightnings arms. The three of us are both worried and surprised seeing this. "Serah!" Lightning says. Serah just floats high in the air, so high, not even Snow could reach her. Just then, she starts turning into crystal. Me, Lightning and Snow takes a step back, viewing all of this. Serah moves her arms together in front of her, with crystals shooting out of her back. Her entire body turns into crystal. It makes its way to her head, before it does, Serah cries a tear, and then it slowly falls as the crystal reaches to her head.

The tear drop glows and forms into a single crystal tear, and it falls into Snow's hand. That part surprises me. I can't believe he's the one who gets a piece of Serah, instead of either me or Lightning. Well, personally, I guess it should be Lightning who should have it since she is Serah's sister.

Snow holds on to the tear, then we all look back up, to see the crystallized Serah slowly floating down. "Serah! Serah!" Snow tries to call out to her. Lightning just keeps her eyes on her own sister while I just glare at Snow, clenching my fists.

Lightning looks heart broken, all sad as her own family member is…gone. Vanille looks sad as well, but also shocked. "Why is she turning to crystal?" Vanille asks.

"l'Cie who fulfill their focus are transformed into crystal and gain eternal life." Hope explains. He's looking surprised as well to see this.

"Just like the stories say." Sazh says.

Serah floats right in front of the three of us. "Serah…sweet dreams." Snow says to her.

Hearing that just angers Lightning. "'Sweet dreams'?" Lightning shoves me out of her way and gets a grip on Snow. "She's not sleeping!" Snow just looks at Lightning, upset. "Serah's…she's-"

Lightning lets go of Snow.

"She's alive." Snow says.

"No!" Lightning snaps at him. Then I put a hand on Lightnings shoulder.

"Lightning, calm down."

"Calm down!?" Lightning just shoves me. "How can I calm down?! Serah's gone!"

"She's not gone." I say.

"Yes she is! She became a l'Cie and now look at her!" Lightning yells at me. "You don't understand!"

Hearing that now makes me angry. "I don't-I don't understand!"

I push Lightning down, forcing her to fall back. I look down at her. "How can you say! What makes you think I don't understand how it feels to lose someone you love! From the fate of a l'Cie!" I snap at her. Lightning doesn't answer, but looks a little surprised to see me like this. I turn around, facing my back at her. "You should at least feel happy she turned into crystal."

None of say anything, but Vanille walks up to me and offers me a hug. I start to shove her off, but I don't bother to fight it. Then Snow returns his attention to Lightning. "The legend! Remember the legend! l'Cie who fulfill their focus turn to crystal and gain eternal life. It's the same with Serah! Eternal life! She's not dead!"

Snow's yelling just makes me feel my insides burning. What Serah and Lightning are going through just beings back the dark memories of my own failure. At the 'Eternal life' part, I just march to him and punch him in the face. "SHUT UP!"

Snow stumbles back from my blow. Everyone but Lightning just looks at me like they're scared, then Snow walks up to Lightning. "Serah's my bride-to-be. I promised to be hers forever! I don't care how many years I have to wait-"

Lightning had it. She punches Snow right in the face, knocking him down. "It's over!" Lightning yells at him. "Open your eyes and face reality!"

I walk up to Lightning hearing that. "This isn't over, Lightning. Serah's still alive!" I say. "She's your sister! You should feel happy she didn't turn into a monster! Say what you want, Lightning. But just know that if she did, you would never feel happy again. You'll just go through eternal suffering…" At that point, I make my way towards the gate. "Just like I did."

Lightning doesn't say anything. No one does for a moment. Just when I reached for the gate, a deep rumbling happens. Everyone loses their balance from the quake. Hope's on his knees, his hands over his ears.

"What now?" Vanille asks.

"The army!" Sazh says.

The rumbling becomes greater. Without time to think, me, Lightning and Snow takes cover on top of Serah, protecting her. As we do that, large tentacle wires starts breaking in. After a minute, nothing changes.

"What's happening?" Vanille asks.

"Must be a Sanctum strike!" Sazh says. "Bring down the Vestige and the fal'Cie right with it!"

Vanille grabs hold of Sazh's hands, panicking. "Aren't they taking it back to Pulse? That's what the Purge was, right?"

"All they care about is getting everything from Pulse off Cocoon." Sazh explains. "Dead or alive, it's all the same."

Vanille looks worried, backing away from Sazh. Hope grabs Vanilles hand, on his knees. "We can't stay here! They'll kill us."

Vanille isn't sure what to do. But after a moment, the rumbling stops. Me, Lightning and Snow stops covering Serah, being sure everything's all right. Just then, the l'Cie mark on the gate glows and then fades, and then the gate opens. We all look at the gate, and then Snow looks down at Serah "I'll be back. Hold on."

Snow goes ahead towards the gate. "Trench coat. Where you going?" Sazh asks, making his way to snow.

I grab Sazh by the shoulder and stop him. "Let him go! Who cares what he's doing?"

Snow stops and turns back to face us all. "Date with the fal'Cie. Got some things to talk about."

"What? You're gonna ask it to help her? Are you out of your mind, kid?" Sazh asks.

"He's always out of his mind!" I snap at Sazh.

"No matter. That thing wants to chew us up and spit us out!"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Snow yells. Sazh doesn't say anything. Lightning just sighs and walks ahead, pasted Snow and towards the gate. "Lightning?"

Snow follows her. Sazh just shakes his head and sighs. "Here we go."

I stay behind, watching them head off, then I sigh. "Well, I guess I gotta help them." I turn back to face Vanille and Hope. "You two stay here and look after Serah." I follow the rest of the group.

We all walk through the dark hallway past the gate, and enter the heart of the fal'Cie. We all stand in front of it. I hear someone coming behind me. I turn, ready to attack, but I let my guard down seeing it's only Vanille and Hope. "What are you two doing? I told you to stay with Serah!"

"We can help." Vanille says.

"I appreciate it, but it's too dangerous. I can get you two involved." I look directly at Hope. "Especially you."

Hope only looks at me for a moment, then turns his attention to the fal'Cie. "So this is…the fal'Cie."

I turn my attention to the giant machine in front of us. Yep, this is the fal'Cie. We all stare at it in silence, until Snow breaks it.

"Serah's a crystal now. You gave her a Focus, and she did it! You got what you want! Now let her go!" Snow depends in anger. Nothing happens. Nothing…then Snow gets on his hands and knees. "Please…turn her back!" I watch Snow, this seems interesting. He now stands on his knees with his hand on his chest, looking up at the fal'Cie. "I'll be your l'Cie instead!"

I give a silent laugh at Snows offer. "You mightiest well do it!" I tell the fal'Cie. "Cocoon's better off with Snow as the l'Cie instead of Serah."

"Fine, you go on begging." I face Lightning hearing her say that. She just stands here, taking out her gunblade. "Like this thing gives a damn what we want!" Lightning charges to the machine, striking it with her weapon.

After a few strikes, she steps back, panting. "Lightning!" Snow says.

I stand next to Lightning, shaking my head. "There's no point…it won't work." I say.

"It's this thing's fault the Purge started, and it's people who are dying!" Lightning says. "Serah told us to save Cocoon. That means this thing needs to die!"

Just then, a sudden glow happens. All over. Under our feet, on the walls. Then the gears turn on. Something's going on. A low rumble happens and two Manipulator's come out of the ground. We're all startled by this happening. A bridge glow happens, blinding us all.

"I can't see!" The machine opens up, revealing the fal'Cie, Anima. The light fades and we all see the fal'Cie coming to life. "What the…"

Hope starts to worry, and then makes a run for it. When he does, Anima activities a force field, cutting out his escape. Sazh walks up to Lightning.

"Come on, now. You really think you can kill a fal'Cie?" Sazh asks her.

Lightning makes her fighting stance. "I'm doing this for Serah!"

I make a stand, taking out my bow right next to Lightning. "Me too! For Serah and all the citizens of Cocoon!"

Snow readies himself for battle. Sazh just stands behind and looks down. "Dajh." He whispers. The chocobo sticks its head out of Sazh's afro and chirps. "I'm in!" Sazh takes out his pistols. "As long as you don't mind an amateur." Sazh raises them in the air. "I got these things. Might as well use 'em!"

"Thanks." Lightning tells him.

The four of us attack the Manipulator's. Me and Lightning not he right. Snow and Sazh on the right. They didn't last much long, they're pretty weak. We destroyed them rather quickly. After we destroyed them, we turn out attention to Anima. As we're attacking it, the monster is trying to channel something. I don't know what it's doing, but it can't be good.

We fight hard against the fal'Cie. Only when it's done channeling, the two Manipulator's returned. They've been revived. That put me to a surprise, why would it do that? The moment I thought that question, the answer came. One of the Manipulator's strikes at me. I guess Amina can't fight on its own. What a wimp. We once again attack those Manipulator's and destroy them.

Amina channels its restoration again. We all focus our attacks on the fal'Cie. This thing is pretty tough, for a monster that can't fight back without it's minions. Amina finishes it's channeling and the Manipulator's return. We return our attacks to the Manipulator's. Both of them manages to attack before we destroyed them. Lucky thing they only hit Snow.

Amina once again channels. "Oh! Not this time!" I say, shooting my arrows at it. Everyone else also returns their attacks on the monster. We fight with our hardest. Just before it finishes the restoration, the monster is defeated. Something strange happens, I can't tell what happened, but the next thing I know, we're in the middle of no where in the darkness.

"Where are we?" Lightning asks.

All we hear is a large bell chiming. Ding…ding…ding...

"What's going on?" Snow asks.

Afterwards, a large crystal glows above us. The fal'Cie, Amina, is also revealed in that light. That crystal was apart of it. The light shows we're floating in the middle of the darkness. Amina grabs us with it's glowing tentacles. We all struggle from the painful grips.

Amina holds its hand out in front of it, channeling black magic through it's fingertips, then unleashes it on us. The dark magic impales on us, causing suffer pain, and then Anima lets us go to fall into the darkness. We all have a strange dream during the fall. About some monster and the destruction and fall of Cocoon.

During our sudden slumber, out on the Hanging Edge. The Pulse Vestige start cracking and rumbling, with crystal shards escaping from it's body. The Pulse Vestige unleashes a powerful blast wave, knocking out everything in the Hanging Edge. Everything falls and shatters., even the Pulse Vestige. When it impales on the ground, a large wave of water is unleashed, crashing through everything. As it waves, it suddenly becomes crystallized.

Now the Pulse Vestige lays in the center of Lake Bresha.

[Flashback: Day 11 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

It was a lovely night. The fireworks go off inside a globe. Everyone sits and stands on the field, watching the fireworks. Everyone was having a great time. Snow enters the bar, then bumps into two girls. "Whoa. Excuse me." The girls walk past him and Snow looks around. Snow is currently holding a paper bag in his hand.

"You just missed her." Lebreau says. "She said she'd be at the 'usual' place."

Snow rubs the back of his head. "Thanks." Then makes his leave.

Lebreau looks at a lady sitting on the stool in front of the counter. "Sorry about that." She hands the lady her drink. "Now, who'd you say you were looking for?" The lady doesn't answer. She just grabs her drink and takes a sip.

Snow leaves the bar, and looks up at the fireworks, then pounds his fists together. "Here goes!"

Snow makes his way through the crowd, until he finds Serah on the bridge in front of the fireworks with me. I was just standing there looking down at Serah, as Serah looks down, with her hands together in front of her, praying. "Hey!" Serah becomes interrupted and me and her looks at him. "Making a wish?"

Serah was surprised to see him, I was disappointed. "Maybe I was." Serah answers.

Snow looks at me. "Hey, Patrick."

I just cross my arms in front of my chest, looking back at the fireworks. "Whatever, Villiers."

Snow walks up to me and pats me on the shoulder. "Hey, you're not still mad at me, right? Come on, cheer up, man. It's a special night!"

I just stand in silence, then make my leave. "I'm going for a drink." When I walked for about seven feet, I look back at Serah. "I'll see you later, Serah. Good luck with Lightning."

Serah nods. "Thank you."

I smile, but then that ends when Snow walks up to me. "Hey. Got you more of that stuff." Snow hands me the bag, winking his eye and clicking his tongue.

I snatched it from his hand, unpleasant, then make my leave. Snow stands next to Serah. "'More of that stuff'? What did you get him?"

"Ah, nothing special." Snow says. "What about him wishing you good luck with Lightning?"

"I was hoping that tomorrow, I can tell my sister." Serah says. Snow doesn't say anything. "She'll be so mad, knowing I hid it from her."

"Don't worry. I'll take the blame for you." Snow says. Snow looks back at the fireworks. "You know, you should ask for something bigger. These are wish-granting fireworks, like in the stories."

"Stories huh." Serah puts her hand on the wrapped bandage on her left arm, where she's hiding her l'Cie brand. "l'Cie who fulfill their focus…they become crystal and gain eternal life."

"Would help if they gave you some clue about what you're suppose to do." Snow says. Serah just looks down, then Snow puts a hand on her shoulder, looking at her. "We'll figure this thing out. You will never be one of those monsters."

That just worries Serah. She moves his hand off of her and turns from him. "So what will I be? A crystal?" Serah just gets upset. She even starts to cry. Snow reaches into his pocket.

"Yesterday at the store, I got us something." Serah looks at Snow and sees a silver engagement pendant hanging from his hand. Serah is surprised to see it. "Don't know much about jewelry, but…I hope you like it."

Snow helps Serah put on the necklace, clasping it. Serah looks up at Snow with a smile. "I will stand by you, no matter what happens. I'm yours forever. Serah…my one…my only…" Snow kneels down with a hand on his chest. "Will you marry me?"

Serah is speechless about this. "Yes." She just answers.

Snow was happy, he jumps up in excitement. "She said 'yes'!"

Snow and Serah hugs and then Snow sweeps her off of her feet, spinning her. Minutes later, Snow and Serah are riding on a Velocycle, riding towards the globe of the fireworks. "Got to love these fireworks. They granted my wish."

Serah looks at Snow. "Your wish?"

"Before I asked you to marry me. I wished that you would say 'yes'." Snow says.

Serah feels some hope hearing that. "Then…maybe they'll grant mine too."

"What's that?" Snow asks.

Serah turns her attention to the fireworks. "To have the courage to tell Lightning that I've become a l'Cie."

"Hey, our engagement is way bigger news!" Snow tells her. Serah nods in agreement. "Oh man, I can't wait to see her face…She'll be my new sister."

Serah laughs at that thought. "Yeah."

Snow decides to drive the Velocycle into the globe. They fly right through the field like a bubble and flit into the fireworks. They ride through the fireworks, getting a view of the pretty colors exploding right around them. Serah never felt any happy in her whole life, then she looks at Snow. "Hey, Snow?"

Snow looks at Serah. "Yeah?" Serah just looks at Snow, directly into his eyes. They slowly lean in, lips puckering up. But then a large firework exploding in front of them interrupts their moment. "What the!"

Snow sharply turns the Velocycle, avoiding the explosion. That was close. Snow suddenly loses control from the rumbling and then the Velocycle rushes out of the globe. Serah and Snow calms down, and then regains control of the vehicle.

"That was close." Snow says. Serah just laughs. It was too close in her case, then Snow joins her in the laughing.

After the laughing, Serah looks back at the fireworks. "Gorgeous…Our own private heaven."

Snow looks at the fireworks as well. "All we need…just you and me."

Serah looks at Snow, then Snow looks at her. They both stared into each other, lean closer and kissed. After the kissing, Serah lets tears escape from her eyes. She lays her head on Snows shoulder, and Snow wraps an arm around her, comforting and loving her, as he drives the Velocycle into the skies.

Serah's words whispered into Snows head.

_'Thank you Snow'_


	4. Lake Bresha

A/N: Many of you may question my background. I'm not normally like that, all mean and angry. I just hate Snow. He's really nothing but trouble. Of course that's just my character. In real life, I just don't like him cause of his arrogance. Now, we're here on Lake Bresha, where something tragic happens to us even through we survived the impact. I don't own Final Fantasy XIII. Those who haven't played it should try it out.

Chapter 3: Lake Bresha

Snow is laying on the crystal ground of Lake Bresha, his arm up as if to reach for something. His eyes shot open and he instantly sits up. "Serah!"

Snow looks around his surroundings, he was only having a dream. Everyone else is also starting to wake up. I've all ready manage to get on my feet.

"Man. That was hard…" I take off my hat and wipe off the crystallized dust. "Everyone okay?" I ask, putting my hat back on.

As everyone stands up, or sits up, they all called out. Snow looks around the crystallized lands we stand on. "Is this…for real?"

Snow walks up to see the Pulse Vestige impaled into the crystallized waters. The rest of us walks beside him and gets a view of the Vestige. All except for Hope, he's just sitting in depression. The rest of us takes a look around as well. We ain't too happy about these lands. Not a pretty sight for it all to be crystallized.

"This must be…Lake Bresha?" Sazh wonders. Sazh looks up to see holes in the ceiling sky. "I guess we fell from up there, and the lake turned to crystal?"

I look up right next to Sazh. "Seems that way."

"Help me out here!" Sazh seems a bit confused. "I mean, did the fal'Cie do this? How in the world did we end up here?"

"How should I know?" Lightning says.

"Same here. Last thing I remember was facing that fal'Cie…Everything else is a blur." I tell Sazh.

Vanille gets down on her knees, feeling a bit confused. "We're alive. How?"

We are still alive. How is that possible? "Serah!" Everyone turns their attention to Snow. "No one survives a fall from that high, not without a miracle. Serah saved us!"

"Serah?" Snow looks at Lightning, noticing how upset she is. "Listen. It's all your fault she got…"

Snow noticing the Cie'th coming up to Lightning from behind. "Look out!" Lightning turns and becomes startled seeing the Cie'th. Snow moves Lightning out of the way. The Cie'th strikes, but Snow blocks its attack. During blocking, the l'Cie mark on his left wrist glows, and Snow unleashes an offensive magic attack on the Cie'th, knocking it back.

We are all surprised to see that, even Snow. "What did I…just do?"

Snow asks, looking down at his hands. "It can't be." I whispered to myself.

Hope gets on his feet, staring at Snow. "You used magic! You used the power of the l'Cie." Just then, more Cie'th starts rushing in. "The fal'Cie cursed us! We're l'Cie now!"

Lightning takes out her gunblade, shifts it into a sword, and readies for battle. Me and Snow do the same. We fight are way through the Cie'th. We're cursed all right. Snow and Lightning are using magic. I'm not using magic, but I do feel stronger. As I shoot my arrows at the Cie'th they suffer more damage then I ever did before.

The Cie'th died wither quickly. After they're defeat, we used the time to take in what's happening. Snow looks down at his wrist, noticing the brand. The mark of a l'Cie. "So we really are l'Cie."

Lightning's not really pleased about this. Sazh doesn't look too happy as he looks at his brand on his chest. "Looks like it."

I place my hand on my upper left arm, I can feel the l'Cie brand right there. "Same here." I look at Vanille. "What about you?"

Vanille doesn't say anything, then Snow looks at her. "You too?"

"Yep." Vanille lifts the fabric hanging on her skirt, revealing the brand on her thigh. "Right here."

"Okay…" We all gathered in a circle, with Hope in the center.

"l'Cie to the last." Lightning says.

Hope is devastated about this. He gets on his knees, I feel worried for him. "Why me?" Hope looks at Lightning. "I don't even know you! But you have to go and attack that thing?" Lightning crosses her arms in front of her chest, while the rest of us feel a bit guilty.

I walk up to him. As I put my hand on his shoulder, he flinches. "Just leave me alone!"

I back up, trying to respect his demand. Then he looks at Snow. "It's your fault. It's your fault my…" Hope doesn't say anything else, but I can tell who he means: His mother. "You would've…" Hope clinches his fists. He gets on his feet and rushes to Snow. "All of this is your and Serah's fault!" The kid yells at Snow.

"Watch it!" Snow pushes Hope, making him fall back on his butt. Hope crawls back nervously, until he bumps into Lightning. Hope looks up noticing an angry glare she's giving him. Hope just crawls away, until he stops, laying on the ground with his hands on his head.

"Hey, guys. Go easy on him." I say, looking at Hope. After a moment, I return my attention to the ground. "But he is right."

Lightning shoves me, making me face her. "How dare you blame my sister for-" Lightning snaps at me, but I interrupt her.

"I'm not blaming Serah!" I tell her. "He's wrong about this being Serah's fault." I turn my attention to Snow. "But he is right about you."

"What? …You saying all of this is my fault?" Snow asks.

I walk up to Snow. He slowly backs up as I draw closer. "You just had to offer yourself to take Serah's place as a l'Cie. Because of that, the fal'Cie did…and dragged all of us with you!" I get a grip on Snows trench coat, pulling him in my face. "Can't you do anything right without getting anyone else around you hurt!" I pull a bloodstained dagger from my pocket and hold it right in between our faces, closer to Snows. "I should kill you for this!"

"Okay, okay. Take it easy." Snow says. Just like that, I did take it easy. I let go of Snow and returned the dagger into it's holster and in my pocket, then walked away, but I'm still mad at the fool. "I'm sorry."

Me and Vanille walk up to Hope, who's laying on the ground barely crying and upset. Vanille puts her hands on his shoulders. Hope stops his emotional bursting from the feeling, then he looks up at Vanille. "Everything is gonna be all right. You'll see." Vanille help Hope stand up. "Come on. Off we go." Vanille drags Hope down the path.

Sazh and Snow follows them, leaving me and Lightning behind. "Humph. What a cruel fate." I say. Lightning doesn't say anything. Just watches the group leaving. "If I end up being a Cie'th, I'm gonna hunt down Villiers and kill him!"

I went ahead and follow the group. "Not if I beat you to him first." Lightning says, following me.

Even through being a l'Cie is a curse, it's partly a gift giving us incredible powers to help us fight. Each of us do however get separate roles.

Commando, Ravager, Medic, Sentinel, Saboteur, Synergist.

However, we didn't get all of the roles. We were only gifted with certain roles.

Lightning has Commando, Ravager and Medic

Snow has Ravager, Sentinel and Commando

Sazh has Ravager, Synergist and Commando

Hope has Ravager, Synergist and Medic

Vanille has Ravager, Medic and Saboteur

Meanwhile, I have Commando, Saboteur and Synergist

We walk down the path, since it's the only path there is. "l'Cie huh?"

"Yep. We're all playing for Team Pulse now." Sazh says.

"Must be nice." I say, sarcastically.

We all catch up to Vanille and Hope, then we gathered. "Okay, if we don't know our Focus, how do we complete it?" Lightning wonders.

We all wonder the same thing, then Vanille gets an idea. "I think…I saw it."

Lightning looks at Vanille. "Saw what?"

Vanille doesn't say anything. "That is how a Focus comes down, people. The fal'Cie? They don't spell it out with a clear-cut instructions." It's stupid how that happens. It's as if the fal'Cie wants us to turn into Cie'ths, to literally become their slaves. "All you get is a hazy glimpse." Snow, Lightning and I look at Sazh, as if they're doubting him. I don't doubt him, but the thought of what he said just annoys me. "Well, that's what they say. You know, legends and all."

Sazh just turns away, facing away from us. Lightning however faces Hope. "Did you see anything?"

Hope isn't sure how to answer that. "I uh…I just…it's all kind of foggy, but…I saw this big…I mean towering…"

Sazh widens his eyes open, realizing something. "W-wait a minute. Hold on now." Sazh walks up into the group. "Did we all have the same dream?"

The dream…of course. "Ragnarok" We all said.

We all think back about the dream. The monster, Ragnarok, and Cocoon falling in destruction. "So, we all saw the same dream. We all heard that same voice." Sazh says.

"Yeah…it's all coming back to me." I say.

Hope walks up to Sazh. "You mean that was our Focus? But…how are we supposed to know what to do from that?"

"Who can say? Dreams could mean anything." I say.

"That's the tricky part." Vanille mentions. "The dream's the only hint the fal'Cie gives us. Figuring out what to do with it, that's our job!"

Sazhs thinks during that moment. "Okay, okay…We're pulse l'Cie, right? Enemies of Cocoon. So…does that mean that our Focus is…Are we suppose to-"

"Save her." Snow interrupts.

"Say what?" Sazh asks.

"Our Focus is to protect Cocoon." Snow says.

"Really? Okay, and why's that?" Vanille asks.

"Serah told us." Snow says. Why does that not surprise me? That Snow would do what Serah told us, even through the dream could mean a difference, seeing the destruction and all. "Let's do it! We're all in this together."

"Don't get over your head, Villiers." I say, walking past him. "I'm not working with you! Not now, not ever!"

Snow just grabs my shoulder and stops me. "Listen, you. We're all in this together! We got into this mess together, and we'll get out of it together!"

I force Snow to let go of my shoulder. "We got into this mess because of you! So if we're all going to be in this together, we should be without you!" Everyone was speechless from hearing me say that, then Snow finally says something.

"I'm gonna look for Serah. She ought be nearby." Snow runs off, then Vanille chases after him. "I'll come too…Wait!"

Sazh just walks past the group. "That boy can't stay still." Sazh follows them as well.

Hope doesn't say anything. He just looks at me and Lightning. Lightning faces the Pulse Vestige and crosses her arms, then Hope runs after the rest of the group. "Honestly, Villiers. You never think at all." I turn and look at Lightning, even through I'm only viewing her back. "Tell me, Lightning. How is it that Serah is going out with Villiers?"

"I ask myself that everyday." Lightning says. Lightning turns to face me. "You jealous?"

I feel surprised to hear that. "What? No way! I mean…I love Serah, but not THAT way!" Lightning doesn't say anything, just looks at me as if she's doubting my words. "Oh come on! You know what Snow is like. You're against him aren't you?"

"I am, but I'm looking after Serah cause she's my sister." Lightning says.

"So am I…well, except for the sister part. It's cause she's my friend." Lightning doesn't say anything, but still looks at me. "You know…forget I asked." I run down path, following the rest of the group.

Snow looks ahead, nothing some rubble in front of him as Vanille and the others catch up to him. "There's got to be a way through here somewhere."

When me and Lightning catches up to the group, we just jump through the rubble, then everyone else did the same. Hope and Sazh however had trouble getting through, dispute their age and athletic ability.

We move on ahead, until we find some kind of dead end. It's mainly a dead end cause it's a trench. Lightning runs to the end and starts leaping rubble to rubble, jumping off the of the edge to some damaged airship that's hanging downwards in front of us.

Snow does the same, now it just leaves me with two kids and an old man. I just know they wouldn't make it. I take out my arrow with a rope tied to it. I aim for the far side of the damaged airship and fire. The arrow pierces onto the airship, and then I tie the other end to the crystal pillar.

I grab hold of the rope, cross my legs on it and start climbing it. "That looks like fun!" Vanille says, joining in on the climbing. Sazh and Hope follow us behind. I made it to the top to see how far Lightning and Snow are.

"Hey! Hold up!" I shout at them.

Snow and Lightning stops and looks back to see only me, then Vanille climbing up. We waited by the rope for Sazh and Hope. When they made it, I take out an 8-point throwing star and throw it at the rope that's tied to the crystal pillar. I always carry these things with me for situations like this. For one reason, is just in case any enemies are following us, don't want to let them cross. Another is that I only have the one rope. The throwing star hits the rope, right at the end where the knot is at. Bulls-eye!

I wrap up the rope as we continue walking down the path. We all gathered with Snow and Lightning, then take a short break. Snow raises his fist in the air. "We fight it! Ragnarok!" Snow hops off the higher level of Crystal onto our ground level. "That's the reason we're l'Cie. To stop it…to keep Cocoon safe!"

I just cross my arms in front of my chest, glaring at Snow. "Maybe for us, but I think the reason you're l'Cie is punishment for your crimes."

"Yeah, why don't you give us one reason to believe that?" Sazh says, looking at Snow. "One reason."

"Serah." Is all Snow says.

We don't say anything, then I look at Sazh. "I'd say that's a pretty good reason."

Snow nods. "She said to protect Cocoon, and then she turned to crystal. That's the proof right there. She completed her Focus! That means ours is to save Cocoon." Snow turns to face Lightning. "Serah's fal'Cie was the same as ours. Our Focus has got to be the same. We were chosen to be guardians, to defeat Ragnarok! It makes sense."

Big words coming from a big oaf. Figures… "The hell it does! You're grasping at stews, son!" Sazh tells Snow. "Pulse fal'Cie are Cocoon's enemies. We just got recruited be one of them." No one says anything from what Sazh says. Vanille however is just smiling. I look at her.

"How can you be smiling at a time like this?" I ask her.

"Why not?" Vanille asks.

I sigh, putting a hand on my head. "We're l'Cie now, enemies of Cocoon. The Army's gonna be chasing us on our tails. That's nothing to smile about."

"I know. But on down times like this, I just think about happier days." Vanille says with a giggle.

I almost made no sense. I flick Vanille on the forehead. "You don't make any sense."

Sazh walks up to Snow. "If I were a betting man…I'd put us on the other side."

"So Serah's an enemy too?" Snow tells Sazh. Hearing that just makes me and Lightning feel mad. On this one, I don't know if I'm suppose to be mad or Snow or mad at Sazh. "Well I don't buy it!" Snow looks at Lightning and rushes to her side. "We have the power to save Cocoon. If we work together and carry out our Focus…"

Lightning quickly takes out her Gunblade, as a sword. "Our Focus!" Lightning holds the sharp side of the blade right in front of Snow's neck. "The fal'Cie took Serah from us, and you want to help it? Whose side are you on?"

"She's right." I say. "Everytime you try to help, you always-"

"Freeze!"

All of us become startled from hearing that. None of us say it, and then we notice an army of PSICOM guards are here. We look around, they are blocking all paths. "Place your hands behind your heads!" We all did what the officer orders. All except for Lightning, who's just looking at them. Then she drops her gunblade. "You fall of the Purge train?"

Lightning puts her hands behind her head. "Maybe." She softly answers.

The officer hold her and makes his way to Lightning. "Are you talking back to me?!"

_You asked us. What did you expect? _I thought. The office is aiming his gun at her throat. "Humph. Nice gun." She says with a small smirk on her face.

Lightning smashes the gun out of the way, jabs the officer with her elbow. She knocks the officer off of his feet, get under him and kicks him in the air. The rest of the guards responded to that and aims their guns at her.

"Freeze!"

Lightning steps on the hilt of her weapon, causing it to fly into the air. Lightning jump flips and reaches for it, then she strikes at the guards. I take out my bow and fire my arrows at the guards. Snow rushes into them and starts punching them hard.

The PSICOM guards went down pretty easy. "I thought they'd be tougher than that." Sazh says. I thought the same thing, guess they aren't really prepared to face l'Cie. Sazh looks down at one of the PSICOM bodies. "These guys are PSICOM, yeah?" Sazh just waves his hand in front of the PSICOM's face. "Suppose to be cream-of-the-crop."

Vanille kneels down in front of the PSCIOM, closing her eyes and putting her hands together with their index and pinkies out. "Guess they aren't really prepared facing l'Cie." I say.

"Yeah, but PSICOM's an anti-Pulse task force. Haven't fought a war in centuries." Snow points out. "Bunch of rookie troops swinging around overpriced toys."

Sazh stands back on his feet. "So, from what you're telling me, it sounds like a regular old soldier has got more training than special forces."

"Nothing for us l'Cie to be afraid of." Snow says.

"Cut the crap." Lightning says. "Their grunts might be green, but PSICOM's elites are cold-blooded beasts. They hit the field and it's game over." I nod while everyone else is speechless, then Vanille speaks.

"Oh-oh! Then let's run away! Ciao!" Vanille skips away.

"Hey! Wait!" Sazh tells her. He doesn't chase her. He just sighs as his little chocobo flies out of his afro onto his hand. "What's a man to do?"

We all went down the path Vanille takes. I don't understand what's up with that girl. She's just crazy…I do admire her energy, I'll admit. Vanille runs until she runs into a big crystal field that has a group of Cie'th all around. "Uh-oh. That doesn't look good." Vanille says, backing up. I catch up to Vanille, when I rush past here, I blast some Ruins at the Cie'th. One of them falls while two remains standing.

Vanille casts some offensive magical spells, blizzard and aero, at the Cie'ths. When they were weaken, I finish them by shooting an arrow to each of them. I turn to look at Vanille. "You shouldn't go running off like that! You need to stick with the group." I tell her.

Vanille nods and then the rest of the group joins us.

"Weird, isn't it?" Snow says. I look at him, though it's mostly a glare. "Of all the messed up ways to meet…Might as well make introductions." Guess he ain't wrong. Well, I know everyone here, except for this old dude. Not sure what to say about everyone else. "I'm Snow. Snow Villiers." Snow looks at Hope. "Short stuff?"

"Hope. Hope Estheim." I look at Hope. He doesn't seem too happy. I guess it's because Snow made him introduce himself or something.

"What about her?" Vanille asks about Lightning.

"Bodhum Security Regiment. She goes by 'Lightning'. Last name's Farron. First? Anybody's guess." I throw a crystal rock at Snow, hitting him in the back of the head.

Snow turns to see the one who threw it was me. "You shouldn't introduce for someone else! If Lightning wants to introduce herself, let her!"

"Okay, okay. Hot shot." Snow says to me. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself then?"

I just growl while glaring at Snow. After I moment, I go ahead and do it. "Patrick. Mercenary of Bodhum."

"Oh I see." I turn and look at Sazh. "A man who does anything for money." Sazh takes a hand out in front of me, as if he wants a hand shake. "Sazh Katzroy. Good to meet you."

I hesitated, but then give him the hand shake. "Vanille." Vanille says.

"Last name?" I ask.

"No. My first name." Vanille says with a giggle. I just slap my hand on my forehead. "What about you?" I remove my hand from my head. "What's your last name?"

Everyone looks at me, all but Lightning. "I don't have one." I walk ahead, passing the group. "I abandon it soon after my fathers death."

"Well, looks like soldier girl here and mercenary boy here are having things in common." Sazh says.

Me and Lightning glare at Sazh, well mostly Lightning, mine's more of a normal look. "What's that suppose to mean?" I asked.

"Think about it. You two are tough, fighters, hate Snow, abandon your names, lost your family, care about this Serah girl. You two could be twins." Vanille points out. Me and Lightning looked at either, confusing at first, now feeling awkward. We don't say anything and just move on ahead. "Oh! Oh! They just shut the idea out and moved on! Another thing they have in common."

"Shut up!" Both me and Lightning shouts.

Vanille just giggles and moves on ahead, with Hope following her. "It's not right. Why'd kids have to get dragged into this?" Sazh asks.

"I'll keep the kids out of trouble." Snow says, walking next to Sazh.

Sazh just laughs and puts a hand on Snows shoulder. "Problem with that is, you're one of them." Snow feels offended by that, then Sazh walks ahead. "Trying to take on the Pulse fal'Cie, that was our first mistake. Should have left it to the Sanctum." Vanille calls out to the Sazh and Snow, then starts jumping and waving at them. "Why not?" Vanille stops the jumping and waving, then she grabs Hopes wrist and makes him wave, then resumes the jumping. "I mean, we've counted on the Sanctum's fal'Cie for food, water and everything we've needed since the time we were born."

"But you still helped us do it. Why's that? Gotta be something." Snow points out.

"There might've been." Sazh says. Sazh walks ahead, catching up to Vanille and Hope. "Not so sure anymore."

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

While the rest of the group remain behind, me and Lightning scout on ahead. I don't know what Lightning's thinking about, but I thought about what Sazh and Vanille were saying.

"Well…they might have a point." I say, stopping.

Lightning stops as well hearing that. "What?" Lightning turns to face me.

"I mean, the whole twin thing is completely crazy, even if it's metaphorically. " I say. "But we do have some things in common…right?"

"Humph…I try not to think about it." Lightning says.

I sigh and lean against a crystal wave that acts as a wall. I look up at the path behind us. "Well, might as well wait for the others." Lightning does the same, only on the opposite side of the road, and doesn't bother to look for the others to catch up. I look at Lightning. "Serah told me you two lost your parents…What happened to them?" Lightning doesn't say anything. She just looks down as if she's trying to hide her sadness. "Sorry I asked."

Lightning looks up. "What about you?" I look at Lightning. "You said your father died…"

I hesitated from hearing that, then I give a single nod. "I was only fourteen years old when he died. After he died, I dropped out of school and got a job as a Mercenary."

"What about your mother?" Lightning asks.

"My mom…she died during the Purge." I say. "I was six years old. Helpless. Scared. Defenseless. A group of citizens hijacked a Helicopter, to take the helpless citizens to freedom while the others stay and fight." I grab the necklace and remove it, holding it out in front of me. "My mother wasn't really much of a fighter. But…there was only room for one more. She gave me up for my own safety. As we were taking off…I looked down, reaching out for my mother…then I saw her getting killed by PSICOM."

I close my eyes as a single tear escapes from my right eye. Lightning just looks at me. It's her usually cold look, but she could really be hiding her true feelings. She can relate to the pain I went through.

I tossed the necklace to Lightning, she catches it and looks down at it. "The necklace. It was my mothers." I walk up to Lightning. "She gave it to me before the take off. It was her wedding necklace from the night she and my father got married."

I'm right in front of Lightning just when I finished my story. "Hmm…must be hard to someone you love die right in front of your eyes." Lightning says, holding out my necklace. Lightning looks at the engraving in the back. It says 'Y R my' and then a small line shaped as a heart. Lightning can tell that means 'You are my heart' She wonders why it's written like that, but then figures it's cause of the size of the diamond heart on the necklace.

I take the necklace and hold it in my hand. "Is that why you worked as a Mercenary?"

I nod. "I had no where else to go. I didn't have any friends. I didn't even have Serah. I couldn't stay jobless until I graduated and the real jobs on Cocoon wouldn't allow un-diploma people." I clasp the necklace back around my neck, then look at Lightning. "There were some jobs I regret doing, like those that involved doing bad things. But I did what I had to do to fend for myself."

Lightning and I don't say anything for a moment. "What about your dad? How did he die?"

I turned away from Lightning, and walked to the middle line of the road. "I…I don't want to talk about it. It's too painful." I put a hand on my chest, where my heart rests. "Just thinking about it…it feels like a knife stabbing in my heart."

"Was it Snow?" Lightning just says.

I scoffed then turn and look at Lightning. "Oh, trust me, Farron. If it was Snow, he would have been died seconds after my father did."

Lightning gives a single nod. "That I'll believe."

"Hey, what have you two been up to?" Snows voice startled me. Me and Lightning can see the rest of the group is here.

"None of your business!" I say, shoving Snow and walking away.

* * *

We continue down the path, making our way through the crystallized lake. Up ahead, we see the Pantheron in our path. For once, I'm glad to see these things, cause I'm getting tired of fighting Cie'ths...then again, I should have thought of that when PSICOM found us.

"I guess they're hunting down Purge survivors now." Snow says.

I take out my bow. "After running into us, I'm not surprised." I load my bow with an arrow and shoot at one of the Pantheron's, killing it. The rest of them noticed that shoot and start charging after us. Sazh and Vanille steps up and casts some offensive magic at the other ones. The magic didn't kill, but it slowed them down, that was when Snow decided to finish them with a couple of punches.

After defeating those things, we continue on. Making are way down the path is still not easy, we also ran into more PSICOM grunts. These punks are too easy to kill. I feel like I'm living inside a video game set on 'easy'

We follow the path to higher ground, only the path is thin since it's large chains that's partly crystallized. Me, Snow, Vanille and Lightning had no trouble taking the thin path, but Sazh and Hope are a little slow. To us, it's no problem, but to them...well, it's like trying to walk on rope like in the circus.

I look at Hope, who's doing a little poor. "Poor kid." I say.

"They better keep up, cause we're not waiting." Lightning says, moving ahead.

I decided to stay behind, to wait for Sazh and Hope. When they made it, I get them to run fast, to catch up to the rest of the group. We catches up with the group when they are standing on a damaged train. What we're standing on looks like the roof.

"The train fell too." Vanille says. "I wonder what else is down here."

I just flick Vanille on the for head. "Geez, I wonder what else." I say sarcastically.

We walk down the train, only when we're nearing the crystal grounds, something catches out eyes. Lightning looks surprised and worried, so does Snow, mostly worried. I look ahead to see what we have found is her. Serah.

"Serah." The girl is planted in the crystallized waters.

"Serah!" Snow shouts as he rushes to her. Snow is right in front of his crystal. Just when he's about to touch her. Bam! Snow gets shoot in the shoulder. Snow looks to see it was...an arrow. Snow removes the arrow, then looks to see it's me, pointing a loaded bow at him.

"Don't! You! Dare! Touch her!" I say with rage. Snow is surprised to hear me say that, and shoot him. Why is he so surprised? He should know why I had to do it. He ruins everything! He knows I can tell that touching her would make things worse for us and Serah. If anything, Serah would probably shatter and break from snow's touch, breaking me and Lightning's hearts.

Vanille and Sazh stands by me, slowly making me stand down. I only lowered my bow, not taking my glare off of Snow. Snow returns his attention to Serah. "I'll get you out of there."

Snow grabs some junk next to him, that can be supportive for digging. Pathetic, it's nothing like a real shovel or an ax pick. Snow starts digging Serah out. Vanille runs next to Snow and grabs some sharp metal rod nearby. "I'll help you."

Vanille starts digging. Hope and Sazh also stands next to Snow. Sazh grabs another metal rod and starts digging as well, while Hope just stands next to them all. Me and Lightning just stands behind, watching them dig. I look at Lightning's expression, she seems to be staring at Serah. Lightning's living in her mind, just her and the crystallized Serah. Lightning looks aside with a sigh.

"This is good bye." Lightning turns and starts walking away.

"L-Lightning?" I ask as I try to reach her.

Snow must have heard me, cause he stops digging and turns around. "Lightning? You're just gonna leave her?"

Lightning stops on her tracks. "PSICOM will be here soon." Lightning says. "If they find us, we're all dead. You think Serah would want that?"

I look at Serah, hearing Lightning's words. It's true PSICOM will find us. Only if we stayed. Is that what Serah wants? For us to stay and get caught just to save her?

"You think you know how she feels?" Hearing that part from Lightning snaps me out of my trance. Lightning makes her leave.

"If I leave her, then I'll never know." Snow says.

Lightning just stops hearing that, then I stare at Snow. "Villiers!"

"We'll be fine." Snow says at me, then returns to Lightning. "I can handle anything they throw at us. No one will die." I cross my arms hearing that. That part is completely false. Mr. Hero thinks he can take care of himself. He can't do anything right without hurting other people! "I'll protect Serah, and Cocoon!"

Lightning tilts her head to the left, I soon realize what's gonna happen next just as she looks at Snow. _Uh-oh, here comes the storm! _I thought. Lightning walks up to Snow. She stands in front of him for a second, then sucker punches him in the jaw.

Snow falls down on the ground, looking up at Lightning. "Does she look protected to you!?" Lightning yells at him.

Snow tries to get back on his feet. "I can save her!"

Just as Snow gets back on his feet, Lightning punches him again, but soon stops when she notices I give him a blow instead. Snow falls back on the ground. "You can't save anyone!" I shout at him. "You couldn't even save yourself without getting other people hurt!"

"What can you possibly do!" Lightning snaps at Snow. Snow is about to get up, me and Lightning ready our fists for another blow.

"Whatever it takes!" Snow says. Me and Lightning hit Snow together, she made the strike and I did the second. After my punch, Lightning doesn't do anything. She just softens her fist, until she drops it. I just glare down at Snow and give him a growl, then I move on.

Snow just watches them leave. Hope moves up in front of Snow, then punch him in the face. Snow looks at Hope, who's both said and angry. "It's your fault! ...It's your fault she..."

Hope couldn't say the words. He just looks down and walks away.

Snow was about to get up, but then Vanille punches him. "Ow!" Snow looks at Vanille, who's just smiling. "What was that for?"

"Oh? Sorry. I thought we were playing a game." Vanille giggles and skips out of the way.

Sazh just sighs and walks in between me, Snow and Lightning. "You three are hopeless."

I watch Sazh walking away. "Well, what can we do?"

"You just can't admit it." Sazh says over his shoulder. Sazh looks back and we see Snow is continuing with his digging. "You want to stay as much as he does."

I know I don't, but I look at Lightning. Is that what she wants to do? I sense something, something wrong. I take out of bow and slowly reach into my quiver. I look around, then noticed a spotlight on Sazh. Sazh becomes blinded by the light. I follow the trace of the light to find a monster, the Manasvin Warmech from the Purge train. I can see the beast looks damaged. It must have somehow survived the impact.

"No...No! No, no, no, not now!" Sazh says. Everyone else notices the monster. I aim my loaded bow at the monster and let it fly. The arrow hits it good, then the monster flies up into the air, and then lands by us.

"Stand back!" Snow says. Hope runs away from the monster, and Vanille chases after him. Sazh goes back to watch over them, leaving the three of us to deal with the monster. While Lightning and Snow are attacking the thing, I stand behind and cast Deprotect on the thing. The Manasvin Warmech starts charging its Wave Cannon. When it's done charging, it blasts the Wave Cannon, hurting us all.

Snow shifts into Sentinel and defends himself. When I weaken the monsters defenses, I shift into Commando and start shooting at the Manasvin Warmech. The Manasvin Warmech starts slamming it's tail on the crystals, shattering them. I can see the crystals are about to rain on us. I shift into Synergist and quickly cast Protect over us, blocking out the falling crystals.

Lightning shifts into Medic and starts healing us, while I shift into Commando and Snow shifts into Ravager, and I start shooting while Snow is attacking with icy punches. Froststrike.

For a damaged piece of junk, it's pretty tough. It starts shooting lasers are us with it's tail. Snow shifts into Commando and I shift into Synergist. Snow starts pounding the fudge out of the robot while I enchant us with Bravery. My magic enchants us with great strength. When that's done, I return into Commando and shoots at the monster.

Snow shifts back into Ravager and start casting magic at the beast. When Lightning was done healing, she shifts into Ravager and casts Thunder all over the beast. The monster becomes weak as it starts channeling its Wave Cannon. Snow shifts into Sentinel and defends himself. I shift into Synergist and quickly cast Shell all over us. Just in time too, just then the Wave Cannon blasts all over us.

The Wave Cannon didn't hurt like it did before, thanks to Shell. Me and Snow shifts into Commando and all together, we beat the hell out of the Manasvin Warmech. Snow jumps on the monsters head and punches hard on it, breaking the shell and revealing the head. "Together!"

Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun, I load my bow with an arrow. We both aim for the head and fire. The Manasvin Warmech suffers greatly and then shuts down from the strike. The robot collapses on the ground. Snow hops off. Sazh and the kids walks up to us, I turn to face him.

"I take it, friend of yours?" I ask him.

"Uh huh. Me and soldier girl here faced that thing on the Purge train." Sazh says.

I turn and face at Lightning. "Sounds like I missed all the fun."

After the monsters defeat, we all look at Serah from a distance, then Lightning starts to leave. Only Snow quickly gets in her way. "You're leaving?" Lightning doesn't say anything, neither does Snow.

"We want to help Serah too." Sazh says. Sazh exhales a groan then looks at Serah. "But without tools, we could be digging for days. The army's on our trail. For now, we've got to keep moving. For now."

"So I just abandon her, and save myself?!" Snow yells at Sazh.

I just shove Sazh back. "Listen, Villiers! I don't want to leave Serah behind. I want to save her...but Sazh is right. With the army chasing after us, there's no point in staying." I look at Serah. "Serah wouldn't want us to stay and get caught. She would want us to save Cocoon..." I turn to face Snow. "That's what she told us."

Snow doesn't say anything. "What about your Focus?" Lightning asks him. "What happened to banding together and saving the world?"

"Exactly my point." I say.

Lightning looks at me when I said it, then back at Snow. "Isn't that what you promised? Now you want to forget it all and die right here?" I cross my arms as Snow says nothing. "Snow? You're nothing but talk!"

Lightning starts to move ahead, and I start to follow her. "You're lower then talk. You're a doofus!"

Snow clinches his fist. "Lightning!" Lightning stops on her tracks, a second after she does, I do the same, but then look back at the two. "I'll do whatever it takes...I'll finish this Focus...and keep Serah safe. That's my promise."

Hearing that just burns my ears. A promise. How can he promise to keep Serah safe? I look at Lightning, she's unconvinced. "Great job so far."

Lightning continues walking. I can tell she doubts Snow. She's smart to do that. I shot a Glare at Snow then follow her. Sazh walks up to snow and just looks at him. "Stay out of trouble." Snow tells him.

Sazh puts a hand on Snow's shoulder as he walks past him. "You too."

Snow's now left alone with Hope and Vanille. Snow looks at them, he points behind him over his shoulder and just smiles at them. "Get going." Vanille moves on, Hope follows her as well. They both stop next to Snow. "Later." Snow waves at Vanille.

Vanille nods. "Okay." Then runs head. Hope just stays by Snow, looking up at him.

"Snow..." Hope doesn't say anything. He couldn't find the right words.

Snow just smiles down at him. "Save it for next time, kiddo. You'll get left behind."

Hope makes a swift step, but hesitates. He just stays like his other foot is glued to the ground. "But..." Hope still doesn't say anything else.

"It's okay, Hope." Snow says. Hearing that makes Hope look up at him. "Light will take care of you." Hope doesn't say anything, still looks at Hope. "We'll meet again."

Hope just looks down a little. "Yeah...count on it." Hope tone was a bit stale, upset stale. Hope then leaves. As Hope runs, he looks back at Snow. He watches Snow walking back to Serah. When Snow is in front of Serah, Hope stops and watches him kneel in front of Serah.

"I'll get you out of there." He tells her.

Snow grabs the junk and continues digging Serah out. "Count on it." Hope says, more upset, then continues moving on.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Me and Lightning stands in the middle of the path ahead. "We should wait for the others, see if they decided to come." I say. Lightning doesn't say anything else. As we wait, my anger grows. "'I'll protect Serah...I promise' ...Yeah right!" Lightning starts to look at me, with curious but still looking the same. "He can't even keep the other promise we made!"

I start walking back until I made about six feet, then I started shouting at the top of my lungs. "Yeah right, Villiers! Go ahead and make another promise! Then go ahead and abandon it! Just like you're already doing to the lady's promise!" We're about half a mile from the group and Snow can probably still hear me. I start grabbing a crystal rock in front of me and throw it with all my strength. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU PROMISED TO TAKE HIM HOME!" I take out another crystal ball and throw it as well. "YOU'RE DAMNED! YOU'RE A LAIR! A LAIR! A DAMNED LAIR! YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT ANYONE BUT YOURSELF!"

I start stomping back to where I was then kick the crystal wall hard. I kicked it so hard, it left a crack on the wall. I also made a painful expression and start whimpering in agony. I lift my leg up and bend down until I reach my boot. When I do that, I then fall on my side, curling up like a ball.

"Oh my, oh hell...That smarts, it hurts like hell! ...That's gonna leave a mark." I say.

Lightning just watches me on the ground, as if she thinks I'm being pathetic. Then she finally asks. "What promise?" I look up at Lightning, with a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

I say or do nothing. But then I sigh and start to get up. I lose my balance at first from feeling the pain on my feet, then I regain it. I stand in front of Lightning, looking at her, then I turned away from her, walking up to the wall until I was facing it.

"While I was stuck with Snow back in the Hanging Edge...we ran into a group of helpless citizens. While Snow was helping the citizens fight, this women...She joined the fight. She joined the fight just to protect her son. But...I made a promise to the poor boy that I would make sure she's safe." I turn to face Lightning. "After certain events happened, the bridge exploded, collapsing. Me, Snow and the lady. We were hanging. I tried to save her...but I couldn't!"

"It's because of Snow, isn't it?" Lightning asks.

"Yes. He was holding on to her, as I was with him. But of course, Villiers, he just let her go. Made her fall to her death." I raise my hand in front of my face and clenched it at the moment I said 'death'. I stayed silent for a moment then look back at Lightning. "Before she died. She made one final wish to both me and Snow...'Take him home...please'. By that, I know she meant her son." I walk back to the wall I kicked and leaned against it, with my arms crossed. "After that, I vowed to make sure I fulfill that promise, knowing that Snow would be too stupid and selfish to do it."

Lightning just exhales and walks up to me. "Do you even know if the kid survived the battle?" Lightning asks.

I look up at Lightning. "I know he is." I say. "Because her son is-"

"Hey there." We look to see Sazh and Vanille are coming. "Nice to see you two decided to wait for us."

"We didn't think you two thought we were coming." Vanille says.

Lightning looks past Sazh and Vanille. "What about the boy? ...Hope?"

Sazh and Vanille looks back. They don't see him, but then seconds later, he starts walking within sight. "Guess he decided to come." We all waited for Hope to come.

Vanille looks down with her hands together, index and pinkies out like usual. "Um...what about Snow? Shouldn't one of us stay and look after him?"

I scoff at that thought. "Might be best. The army's gonna catch up to him soon. Maybe one of us should stay behind and watch over him." Sazh says.

"All right." Lightning looks at me then pats me on the back. "You watch over him."

I turn and look at Lightning. "Wha-wait. Why me!?"

"You said you don't want to leave Serah behind." Lightning says.

"Well...yeah, but I know she doesn't want me to stay behind." I say.

Lightning just leans in on my face, giving me a cold glare in my eyes. "You're staying!"

Lightning just walks away, continuing on her path. I became speechless, then look at Sazh and the kids. Sazh just raises his shoulders and follows Lightning. Vanille skips past me. When she does, she stops and looks back at me.

"Good luck." She says, then continues on.

I humph at that. I'm left alone with Hope. I look down at him to see he's looking down depressed. I sigh and put my hands on his shoulders. "Hope..." Hope looks up at me, with that despair face. I exhale through my nose at the sight of him. "I'm sorry...I want to keep my promise but..."

Hope looks down as I said nothing else. "I understand..." He says in that quiet tone. "But...Snow."

I just shook my head. "Don't waste your breath on him. He doesn't care." I say. I put my hand under Hopes chin and tilts his head so he's looking at me. "I don't know how, but I will take you home. In the meanwhile, you should go with the others...I don't want you to get caught by PSICOM."

Hope nods. I remove my hands from him, then Hope makes his leave. As do I. In about two minutes, I return to Snow. I see him digging at the crystal ground. I groan at the sight of it and walk up to him. Snow is surprised to see me.

"I thought you left with the others." Snow asks.

"I was...but then Lightning made me stay to watch over you." I kick some crystal dust as I made my way to Snow. "Thanks a lot, Sazh!"

Snow just resumes digging. I take a side on a crystal boulder behind Snow and keep watch for the soldiers.

* * *

Lightning and the others move on ahead. Lightning takes lead while Sazh and Vanille are behind her with Hope behind them. "I'm not happy about leaving the kid on his own, especially with Patrick. But we've got to keep moving." Sazh calls out to Lightning. "Hey, Lightning. You sure it was a good idea to leave Patrick with Snow?"

Lightning stops and turns to face Sazh. "Would you want to stay with him?"

"Uh...well, no. But...I'm just saying. I mean...Patrick doesn't even like the kid." Lightning doesn't say anything, but then continues just sighs and he, Vanille and Hope do the same.

As they move ahead, Vanille looks back and wonders about Snow and me. "Maybe we shouldn't have left them alone. Like...what if Patrick kills Snow?"

Hope just walks past Vanille. "Let him do it. Snow deserves it."

Vanille looks worried for Hope then follows him. "Well...I guess all we can do is pray they'll make it out okay. Mostly Snow."

The gang runs into some strange creatures. Terraquatics they're known as. They're not real tough, but they are pretty crazy. Lightning and the group ends up at a dead end, a giant trench right in front of them. Lightning finds a giant tube and then starts walking on it.

Everyone else does the same, only Hope was falling behind a little. "Okay, do not shake the slippery tube! We cool on this? Do not shake the slippery tube." Sazh points out.

"It's only scary if you look down! You should close your eyes!" Vanille mentions.

Unfortunately, that's what Hope does. He looks down and it does look scary to him. The group makes it to the other side of the trench and then continues on. Vanille turns around to see Hope's still halfway through the tube.

"Oh! Wait!" Lightning and Sazh and looks back at her. Vanille points at Hope. "Hope's still trying to cross."

Lightning just groans in annoyance, shaking her head. "How did I get stuck with kids?"

"Easy there, soldier girl." Sazh says. "He's not use to this kind of stuff."

Hope finally makes it. When he does, he jumps on the crystal ground and gets on his hands and knees. Vanille kneels down beside him.

"You okay?" Vanille asks him.

"Yeah..." Vanille helps Hope stand up. "Sorry."

After that, Lightning continues up. Sazh notices her leaving and tries to keep up. "He-hey. Wait up!" Vanille and Hope catches up as well. They follow both of them from behind.

"Still couldn't talk to him?" Vanille asks Hope. Hope just shook his head. "You'll never get past this if you don't say something."

"Words won't change anything." Hope says. "I mean, Patrick's been mentioning about talking to Snow about some things, and also shouting and yelling in anger. And Snow's still ticking him off."

"Well, that could be different. You should still talk to him." Vanille says.

"I know, but next time we meet, he'll learn exactly how I feel." Hope says.

Lightning looks back at Hope and Vanille. "If you two are gonna stick with me and Sazh, and you should cut the chatting and keep up."

Vanille nods. She grabs Hopes arm and drags him. Vanille and Hope catches up to Lightning. The group reaches to some busted airship. Lightning gets a good look at it. Lightning looks up and notices the gun machine at top. "Looks operational."

Lightning leaps her way up on the ship towards the gun. When she reaches the gun, she activities it. the gun shots open a hole on the wall on the crystal cliff ahead, where the bridge leads to. However, the explosion caused a group of the Terraquatin's spawn once the cave is open.

Lightning hops off the ship and she and the rest of the group. They make their way on the bridge and cut down the Terraquatics. Well, Lightning does most of the cutting, while Sazh and Vanille stays back and does their magic.

After defeating the creatures, they continue on, entering the cave.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Meanwhile, me and Snow are still with Serah. Snow is working tirelessly trying to dig her out, while I stand guard. I don't know why I'm the one who has to stay behind and guard this big oaf. "Quit wasting your time!" I shout at him.

"I'm not!" Snow says.

I walk up to Snow. I force him to turn to face me and slap him in the face. "The army's out to get us, and all you care about is saving Serah! There's no point in staying."

"Yes there is!" Snow says. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect Serah! That's my promise!"

I just punch Snow right in the jaw. How the 'promises' he makes vexes me. "Oh you promise to keep her safe. You can't even keep the other promise we've made! Have you forgot what the women told us to do? 'Take him home'. I've been trying to fulfill that promise, but instead I'm stuck with you!"

"I haven't forgotten about it!" Snow snaps at me. "I want to fulfill it, but how? I don't know who she's talking about. Even so, did he actually survive the crystallized blast from the fal'Cie?"

"You never think, do you Villiers?" I say. "The one she's talking about is her son, and Hope is-"

"I don't have time to worry about Hope or Lightning or the others. They're on their own out there."

Snow turns away from me and resumes to his digging. I just sigh and return to my post. As I sit, I start thinking. While I was thinking, I turn my head and look directly at Serah, on her crystal face.

"Serah…why do you want to marry him?" I whispered.

[Flashback: Day 11 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

I stand on outside of the bar, looking up at the fireworks. I just look at them with a quiet expression. I want to be happy, but how could I with nothing but burden weighting down on my shoulders. I sigh and take a walk. I walk around the city of Bodhum, until I find Serah on the bridge looking up at the fireworks.

"Serah."

Serah was a little startled. She watches me as I walk up to her. "Oh, Patrick. Hey."

I stand next to Serah. "So what are you doing? Making a wish?"

"No. Not yet. I haven't thought about what I want to wish for." Serah says. "What about you? What do you want to wish?"

"Hmm…I don't know. Too many to choose." I say.

Me and Serah look up at the fireworks, just standing in silence. "How are things going at work?"

"The usual. Tough jobs, making big money." I answer.

"It just seems kind of sad, working as a Mercenary." Serah says. "Doing all kinds of jobs, good or bad, just to make money."

"Yeah, well…I didn't have much of a choice." I say, turning around and taking a few steps away from the railing. "I had a complicated past. I had to fend for myself at an unprepared age, you know how it is." I turn back and face Serah. "Say, how's your sister doing? I mean. Tomorrow's her birthday isn't it?"

"Yeah. I just hope I can tell her." Serah hopes.

"About being a l'Cie? You still haven't told her?" I ask.

"No, I haven't. But it's not just that…I want to marry Snow." Serah says.

I was surprised to hear that. "Snow? Snow Villiers?" Serah nods. "Why on earth would you want to marry that doofus?"

"Don't be like that. I know you don't get along well with Snow." Serah says. "I mean, my sister doesn't like him very much either."

I smile a little. "I like her already."

Serah couldn't help but laugh, then it dies thinking about Lightning. "She'll be real mad at me when I tell her…What should I do?"

"You could make a wish." I say, looking at the fireworks, then back at Serah. "Or perhaps…I can come to the party, back you up."

"Really? You'd do that?" Serah asks.

"Of course. We're friends, right?" I says.

Serah nods. "Of course."

"Also, would be real nice to meet your sister for once." I say.

"That's right, you haven't met Lightning." Serah mentions. "Oh…do I get a best friends discount?"

"Yeah: No charge." I say, and then we both laugh.

"You know…maybe I will wish for that." Serah looks down, with her hands together in front of her, praying.

"Hey!" Serah becomes interrupted and me and her looks to see it's none other then Snow Villiers. "Making a wish?"

Serah was surprised to see him, I was disappointed. "Maybe I was." Serah answers.

Snow looks at me. "Hey, Patrick."

I just cross my arms in front of my chest, looking back at the fireworks. "Whatever, Villiers."

Snow walks up to me and pats me on the shoulder. "Hey, you're not still mad at me, right? Come on, cheer up, man. It's a special night!"

I just stand in silence, then make my leave. "I'm going for a drink." When I walked for about seven feet, I look back at Serah. "I'll see you later, Serah. Good luck with Lightning."

Serah nods. "Thank you."

I smile, but then that ends when Snow walks up to me. "Hey. Got you more of that stuff." Snow hands me the bag, giving me a wink and clicking his tongue.

I snatched it from his hand, unpleasant, then make my leave. I walked back to the city, as I walk, I take out what was in the bag. One of them is the Big Sisters Complex magazine. I grumble at the sight of it, I hate these things! They're those disguising magazines filled with sexual women exposing themselves. Basically for 18+ males.

I walk into the bar. I sit right in front of Lebreau on the stool, in front of the counter.

"Hey there…Patrick right?" Lebreau asks.

"Yeah." I say with a depressing tone.

Lebreau noticed my irritation. "You know, it's a beautiful night. Why don't you lighten up for a bit?"

"I was until I ran into your idiot boss." I say.

"What did he do?" Lebreau asks.

I show Lebreau the bag and then lay it on the counter. "This!"

Lebreau reaches into the bag and takes out two of the Big Sisters Complex magazines. "These again?"

"Yes. Again!" I say. "Honestly, what makes that moron think I want anything to do with these disguising excuse for a magazine?"

Lebreau puts them back in the bag. "Have you talked to him?"

"I told him every time he brings me these things, but he doesn't listen! It's like all he ever hears is 'Blah, blah, blah I want blah, blah, blah, blah these blah magazines!"

I slam my head on the counter and let out a big, deep sigh. Lebreau takes the bag. "Shall I burn these?"

"What do you think?" I answered in a muffle.

"I know the drill." Lebreau says, She takes the bag, starts talking to the back room, but stops and looks back at me. "Can I get you anything?"

I raise my head. "Dr. Pepper. Cherry."

Lebreau nods then walks into the back room. After a minute, she returns and sets a drink in front of me. "Your drink, sir."

I reach into my pocket. "How much."

"On the house." Lebreau says, offering me a smile. "You look like you'll need it."

"Thanks, Lebreau. Highlight of my night so far." I say, taking a sip.

[Flashback ends]

I still stare at Serah's crystal face, then I look at Snow in front of him. I reach into my pack and take out one of the Big Sisters Complex magazine. I look down at it, back at Snow and giving him an angry glare.

"Why am I even here?" I stuff the magazine back in my pack, stand up and take my leave, walking down the path Lightning and the others took.

Snow stops digging getting a sight of me leaving. "He-hey. Where are you going?" Snow asks.

"To get as far away from you as possible!" I yell.

Snow just watches me leave, then resumes digging out Serah.

* * *

Lightning and the others still makes their way through the crystallized lands. Sazh notices something from a large distance. "Look at that. They're sending in cruisers." Lightning looks at the distance and notices some large ship. "Primarch must be sweating bullets, mobilizing ships like that."

Lightning just looks at the view, then moves on. "We need a closer look." Lightning says. Lightning makes her way through the path, until she reaches a cliff. Lightning gets down, making sure she's not in sight, and watches the airship.

Everyone else does the same. They see a large army of PSICOM soldiers marching on the crystal grounds, and some patrolling in the air on Velocycles. The army on the ground stops and the officer in front turns to face them. "Sweep team! Form ranks!"

The soldiers raises their guns over her shoulders and cocks them. Lightning and the others watches them from the cliff, except for Hope, who's just sitting with his knees on his chest, arms wrapped around his knees and looking down on his lap. "They must be hunting down Purge survivors." Sazh says.

"I hope everyone made it out okay." Vanille says.

"So do I." Sazh tells Vanille. "But nowhere is safe for them now...Damn it! Just cause they shared a neighborhood with a fal'Cie...They get treated like Pulse-tainted rats."

Vanille looks at Sazh, with a hurtful look hearing that. Then she looks back at the view. "People really hate Pulse, don't they?"

Sazh shook his head. "Not hate." Sazh stands on his knees, not taking his eyes off of the PSICOM below. "More like fear. Tens of millions of people...all scared of Pulse boogeymen." Sazh looks down at his chest, where his l'Cie brand is at, and puts his hand on it. "They'd be shaking in their beds every night if they knew that l'Cie like us were around."

"But...they Purged that entire town!" Vanille says.

"It's crazy, I know." Sazh turns to look at Vanille. "But the Sanctum fal'Cie did nothing to stop it." Sazh turns his attention back at the PSICOM troops below. "Up until now, Eden's always stepped in to correct their errors in judgment."

Lightning takes in Sazh's words, wondering about it. "Guess humans aren't worth the effort." Sazh says. "Figure they'll let us just kill each other off."

Hope just gets up on his feet. "l'Cie are not human."

Vanille gets up as well, making her way to Hope. "Listen, you, that's enough!"

Hope just looks down at his brand on his wrist. Vanille grabs Hope on that wrist, looking down at him. After a moment, they don't say anything, then Vanille just let's Hope go and walks off, then stops.

"We're still alive." Vanille looks up at the ceiling sky. "That's something."

Sazh just says, then suddenly, some rumbling happens. Everyone seems to be startled a little feeling it.

"What?"

"Where is it?" Sazh asks.

Hope looks around. "I don't know."

"There!" Lightning gets up, noticing large warships flying past. "They're sealing off the area. They're trying to trap the stragglers." Lightning turns to face the group, then everyone else stands up. "We've got to get moving before we're caught in the net!"

Lightning and the others make they're way through the crystal trench, trying to escape from PSICOM. But they're not alone, the further they go on their path, they run into PSICOM enemies. PSICOM tries to capture the team, but they fight back and defeat the troops.

The group arrives at some damaged bridge ship. "Too bad that's all busted up. Sure would've made things easier." Sazh says. Maybe they can't fly it, but it does support as a bridge for them to cross. "I guess it's for the best. We'd have been easy targets on that thing."

"Damn right we would." Lightning says, as she leaps from crystal to crystal up a hill. Sazh looks up the hill and becomes surprised at how high it is.

"Whoa! How high is this thing? I don't think I'm gonna make it." Vanille stands next to Sazh. Hope, however, tries to keep up with Lightning. So he goes ahead and climbs up. "Do we really have to go this way? I'm too old for this."

Vanille just laughs and starts pushing Sazh. "Come on, old man. Let's go."

"He-hey. All right! All right!" Sazh starts climbing, and Vanille just leaps up from cliff to cliff like Lightning. Lightning makes it to the top in no time. She looks down to see everyone else is having trouble getting up. Well, not all. Vanille's having no trouble, but not getting as fast as Lightning was.

In about five minutes, Hope makes it to the top. He just crawls away from the cliff and sits down panting in exhaustion. Lightning just looks at him and sighs, then notices Vanille arriving as well.

"Piece of cake." Vanille says with a smile then a giggle.

Sazh arrives as well, in the same state as Hope was. "Oh man...I'm too old for this."

Lightning just humphs while looking at Sazh. Vanille runs to the edge and looks down. "Whoa! This whole place is crystal!" Everyone else looks around the area. All Lightning can detect at the Warships that are flying around in a far off distance.

"I wonder what it would be like. To become a crystal, I mean." Sazh wonders.

Vanille looks at Sazh from hearing that. "You're gonna complete your Focus?" She asks him.

Sazh just raises his shoulders. "Maybe. If I knew what it was...I probably don't want to know."

Vanille turns her attention to Lightning. "Hey, Lightning. Did Serah say anything to you about her Focus?"

Lightning just looks down at the thought, as she puts her hand on her chest where her brand lays. "Nothing..."

Vanille now feels a bit nervous, then skips right in front of Lightning. "Oh, you know what? She probably didn't want to worry you."

Lightning starts to think again, then my voice echoes into her head, what I told her once the day before the mission. "Or she just didn't think she could trust me."

Lightning just walks away from saying that, entering the crystal caverns while everyone else just watches her leave.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

I make my way through the crystal lands, grumbling about Snow.

"Villiers. Stubborn rockhead. Who does he think he is? So full of himself! Hurting other people! Bitter judgments he gives me!" I kick the crystal dust under my feet. Just then, I start feeling the rumbling. "Wha...what the?"

I look above the trench I'm in, then large warships get within my view. I was startled at first, and then the rumbling causes the crystals to collapse. I jump out of the way and them they all pile up on the path in front of me. After a minute, the rumbling stops, and I look to see my path is blocked.

I slam my fist on the blockade. "Damn it! ...There's gotta be another way to get to the others." I turn back, looking for a new route to catch up with the rest of the group.

* * *

Lightning and the gang makes their way out of the caverns, where they arrive at the footsteps of the Gates of Antiquity. To their surprise, that area has not been crystallized.

"What is that? Sazh asks. "I think I recognize it from somewhere."

Lightning walks up on the stairs of the ruins. "Gates of Antiquity." Lightning says. When Lightning reaches to the top of the steps, she sees nothing else other then feral creatures, running around the ruins. In the middle of the room, to greet the team, is a giant Behemoth. The Alpha Behemoth.

The Behemoth comes directly at Lightning. She prepares herself for the fight, only then everyone else catches up to her and becomes startled when the monster is charging directly at them from five feet away. Lightning blocks the Behemoth's attack with her weapon. Vanille blows the Behemoth with her Aero, while Hope enchants Lightning with Bravery. With Lightning's blessed strength and Vanilles wind blowing the beast back, Lightning was able to knock the Behemoth back.

The Behemoth looks back at Lightning and roars. Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun and starts shooting at the beast. Sazh does the same. He shifts into Ravager, takes out his pistol guns and starts shooting with fiery bullets. Flamestrike. The Behemoth charges towards the group. While everyone else panics, Lightning shifts her weapon into a sword. The behemoth leaps towards them, but just as it reaches the group, Lightning stabs her weapon through it's chest.

The behemoth growls until it's no longer breathing, then it's lifeless body falls down on the ground. Lightning shifts her weapon back into a gun and puts it back in its holster.

"Looks like we have feral creatures in our case now." Sazh says.

"Then let's get moving." Lightning says, all ready on the move.

The rest of the group follows her from behind. The group makes their way through the ruins. Lightning finds a path that'll take them to higher grounds of the ruins, the roof of a train. Lightning hops on it and runs up the roof, until she arrives at the second floor of the ruins.

When they enter the next area, Sazh notices the crystals are burning orange. He can tell those were flames. "Even the flames turned to crystal. This is ridiculous."

"I bet Patrick would think the same." Vanille says. Darn right I would.

Lightning and the others looks on the lower level of the room. There's a troop of elite PSICOM troops and some heavy machinery. "So those'll be our cold-blooded beasts, I take it?"

Lightning reaches for her Gunblade and takes it out. "Big time." Lightning charges in and strikes one of the soldiers.

"Intruders!" An elite soldier says. The rest of the group stays behind and use their magic fighting the soldiers. The soldiers fight back on Lightning. One of them manages to shoot her. Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cure on Lightning.

The PSICOM troops falls and the group moves on. The team walks up the stairs to the next floor. When they make it up the stairs, they look down the hallway to see a countless group of feral creatures blocking the path.

"That's a lot of monsters." Sazh says.

Vanille looks around the rubble that's blocking a gate. "Well...now what?" Hope asks.

Lightning, Sazh and Hope wonders what to do, but Vanille gets an idea. "Oh, oh!" Everyone looks at her, see the girl jumping and waving in front of the rubble. "It looks like we can get through here."

Everyone looks at the rubble. Lightning, however, walks up to it and gets a closer look. Lightning climbs up the rubble and sees a small passway on top of the rubble.

"Good thinking, Vanille." Lightning says, curling her way through the clearing. Vanille giggles and makes her way up to the shortcut. Sazh just sighs and he and Hope joins in.

Lightning lands on the other side, then Vanille joins in. They both stay and wait, then a few seconds later, Hope and Sazh joins in. They look down the hallway, to see a long pathway to a stair case. Lightning walks up to it, while Sazh gets a worried feeling.

"Something's making the hairs on my neck stand up."

"You've got to stop worrying, Sazh!" Vanille tells him, following Lightning from behind.

The group makes their way up the stairs. Up ahead is just but an empty area that's covered with crystals in the corners and the walls. Vanille is amazed at the crystals beauty.

"Wow!" The team walks in. While they do, Vanille just happily gasps and giggles, looking all around. Lightning stops in the middle of the room, where as Vanille just runs ahead.

"Stay close." Lightning warns her.

Vanille skips ahead. "I want to look around."

Lightning just sighs watching Vanille being silly. Vanille just looks around, near the crystals. But then she looks up, then starts running away screaming.

The rest of the group notices and starts to worry. "Vanille!"

Vanille starts running to the group. Just then, an Annihilator, Garuda Interceptor, bursts through the crystal walls then slams into some on the other side of the room. Shattered shards of crystals dances in the air as the monster regains it's altitude and chases after Vanille.

"Over here!" Sazh shouts to Vanille.

Vanille makes her way to Sazh and hides behind him, hyperventilating in horror. The Grauda Interceptor flies in front of the group, as the pattern on its wings glow and it roars at them.

The monster sweeps at the group, knocking them down. The group gets back on their feet. Lightning attacks the monster, while Hope and Sazh blasts some Fire and Blizzard at it. Vanille casts Deshell and Deprotect on the monster, weakening it's defenses. The Grauda Interceptor sweeps its wings again.

Sazh shifts into Commando and starts casting Ruin at the monster. Hope shifts into Medic and starts healing. After the monster is weaken, Vanille shifts into Ravager and starts casting Aero at the monster.

The monster flies high in the air and roars, then flies away. He rams through the crystal wall, shattering it all. Lightning pays close attention to it. It flies back into the next room. It flies in the middle of the room and it becomes overwhelmed in electric energy.

"It's charging up." Lightning says, running in.

"Charging?" Sazh asks. Vanille and Hope follows Lightning into the next room. "What are you talking about? Charging for what?" No one bothers to answer for Sazh. He sighs and then runs in. As the group runs in, Grauda Interceptor casts a Barrier on itself.

Lightning and Sazh attacks the monster with their weapons, but it does no affect. Vanille and Hope casts Aero and Blizzard. The monster suffers only little damage.

Lightning shifts into Ravager and casts magic at the monster. Hope and Sazh shifts into Synergist and they bless the group with offense and defense enchants. Grauda Interceptor blasts lightning bolts at the group, then sweeps its wings, knocking them down.

The group gets back on their feet. Sazh and Hope shifts back into Ravager and casts Fire and Blizzard repeatly at the monster. The monster roars as it's barrier shatters from the blast of magic. Lightning and Sazh shifts into Commando and attacks the monster.

The monster sweeps in the air, then flies high in the middle of the group. It faces down at them, channeling Hellstorm Bolt. After a few seconds, the blasts it into the group. Vanille and Hope shifts into Medic and starts casting Cure on everyone. After healing, they shift back into Ravager and resume casting magic on the monster.

Grauda Interceptor roars in pain in it's defeat, then lays dead on the ground. The group stands to resist the force of wind from the monsters impact. After that Vanille starts running towards an airship at the end of the room. Vanille points at the airship and looks back at the group. "Check it out!"

Vanille just skips towards the ship while the rest of the group just walks up to it. "Come on. Hop to it, let's go!" Sazh says.

Everyone just stands in front of the airship, looking up at it. Vanille just smiles and giggles, clapped her hands together. "This will make things easier."

Sazh just crosses his arms. "Yeah, knowing our luck, it's probably missing an engine."

Vanille just looks at Sazh. "You shouldn't be so negative."

Sazh just walks up to the side of the airship. "And you shouldn't get your hopes up." Sazh tells her. Vanille and Hope follows Sazh. Lightning just stays where she's at, then follows them afterwards.

Meanwhile, Snow is still working tirelessly trying to dig Serah out. All alone. Just his luck, Snow spots some airships flying above him. They fly past him. Snow gets caught in a spotlight of the PSICOM ships. He just ignores him and continues digging.

"Sweep Team to base. l'Cie spotted. I repeat. l'Cie spotted." One of the soldiers announces. "Pulse l'Cie. Confirmed."

Just then, I start walking my way back to Snow. Only, from about a 50 yards away from Snow, I noticed he's been caught. I quickly hide behind some crystals, watching very carefully out of sight. Snow just stops digging. He makes a stand and turns facing the airships that are about to land.

"You're gonna lend me a hand, or what?" Snow shouts at them.

I just shake my head hearing that. "Villiers, you idiot." I whispered. Just then, PSICOM troops dives out of the ships. Midway through their fall, they throw anti-gravity balls on the ground. The balls create a small gravity field and the troops safely land on them.

The troops make a line in front of Snow and aims their guns at him. "Commencing cleanup protocol!"

Hearing that, I just know I have to see this. Hopefully they'll kill this oaf. Snow holds that piece of junk in front of him. "Cleanup? Let me help!" Snow tosses it at the troops, knocking out the middle group in that line.

Snow jumps onto their ground level, then rushes to them. Snow yells as he jumps on one of the troops that were knocked down from the junk. The rest of the troops makes their stand and aim their guns are him. Snow rushes to them and starts punching them. Snow has all ready knocked out three of them.

I just stay behind, feeling disappointed at the sight of this. "Come on, troops...kill him!" I whisper. I feel relieved at the next sight. Snow is exhausted. He gets on his hands and knees, panting. Just then, the sight of his brand glowing bright blue caught my attention. "What the?"

The brand glows brighter and brighter. Snow seems surprised, so does the troops. Just then, a small sphere appears in between them. the troops starts backing up.

"What's he doing?" The troops ask.

"Watch yourself!"

"Stay alert!"

"What the hell you doing Villiers?" I whisper in frustration.

The sphere starts to grow greater and it floats up in the air. Just then, it turns into ice, and then explodes. The explosion reveals two Shiva twin sisters. Stiria and Nix. They float around in the air. I gasp in shock and horror at the sight of them, with my eyes widen open and my mouth dropped.

"Eidolon." I whispered.

Stiria floats right in between Snow and the troops. Seeing that confuses me, where the hell is the other one? Stiria casts a blizzard tornado at the troops, striking them with a gust of ice shards and snow.

The troops are all wiped out. "What's happening?" Snow whispers. Stiria turns to face Snow.

From higher ground, a female warrior, Fang, and Cavalry troops are standing behind, watching the battle. Snow makes his stand and readies to fight. Just then, I turn to see Nix behind me. I was surprised, then she strikes me with her levitating wheel weapon, knocking me out of my hiding spot and right next to Snow.

Snow is surprised to see me. "Patrick!" I slowly get back on my feet. "What are you doing here?"

When I stand, I look in front of me to see the twin sisters facing us. "Apparently..." I reach for my bow and arrow and arm myself. "Fighting your eidolon."

Stiria casts Doom on Snow. Dark magic steins him. He'll only have 180 seconds to live unless he defeats the Shiva Sisters. Snow shifts into Sentinel and Provokes the sisters to attack him. I shift into Synergist and then I cast protect on me and Snow..._wait, why the hell am I blessing Villiers? _I thought.

Snow defends himself with Steelguard. Nix starts charging up her power, and then strikes Snow with her wheel weapon. Nix knocks Snow into the air in the middle of that strike and then finishes with a Prouette, sweeping close to Snow with icy enchantment.

I bless myself with Bravery and Enfire then shift into Commando. My bow and arrows became coated in flames, enchanted from the Entire. I start shooting at Stiria with my burning arrows. Stiria attacks me and Snow with Bilzzara and then Nix hits Snow with Wheel Grind. Snow once again defends himself with Steelguard.

I don't get why he's doing this. I'm doing all the fight while Villiers is just standing there defending himself. Now he has 90 seconds to live. I shoot more burning arrows at the Shiva Sisters. Nix casts Blizzara at Snow then strikes him with her levitating wheel. Snow blocks it all with Steelguard. I shift into Synergist and bless myself with Shell. I shift back into Commando and cast Ruin at Nix.

When Snow was down to have 30 seconds left to win, the Doom spell was cancelled. The Shiva sisters high fives each other and starts merging with each other and transforming. The Gestalt Mode.

The sisters transformed into a motorcycle, and then they glow bright and fade into crystal shards. The growly light seeps into Snow's l'Cie brand, causing it to glow brightly as it absorbs the eidolon. Snow starts staggering with his hand on his l'Cie brand. He stumbles backwards until he falls back.

I look down at him, giving him a dirty look. "The Twin Sisters." I became startled hearing some unknown voice. I turn to see it's a female warrior with long black hair. "I've got to hand it to you for taking them down. But don't gloat just yet."

"Humph. I ain't the gloating type." I say to her. I look down at Snow. "He might as well be."

Fang just gives a single chuckle. "Might come a time you wish you'd let them end it, and made things easy." Fang points her lance down at Snow. Snow struggles to get up, then he looks at Fang. Fang looks at Snow curiously.

"More of you, huh?" Snow asks.

Just then, the Cavalry guards arrive. "They're both l'Cie. Take them." Fang says.

The soldiers aim their guns at Snow. "Back off." Snow says.

Fang walks up to Snow. "You want to keep breathing? Shut up and come quiet."

"Trust me, miss. If he want to keep breathing, he wouldn't be so stupid." I say to Fang.

Fang jabs Snow in the face with her elbow, knocking him out. Fang then stands up and faces me. "You too, honey."

I shove Fang. "Don't 'honey' me, sweetcheeks." I say, taking out my bow.

Fang just chuckles seeing me aim my loaded bow at her. "You sure you want to do that?" Fang asks. I look around, seeing more Cavalry troops surrounding me and the unconscious oaf. "By this point, you have two chooses: Fight me and die, or surrender and live." I just stand motionless. After a few seconds, I lower my bow, slowly unload it then put my arrow and bow away. Fang just smiles and pinches my cheek. "You're a good boy."

I just shove her hand away from my face, then Fang turns away from me. I noticed a l'Cie brand on Fangs right shoulder. To my surprise, her brand looks different. It's all white and the pattern is nothing like me and the others have. "You...You're a l'Cie too?" I ask. "Just who are you? Working with them?"

Guns are pointing at me. Fang turns her head over her shoulder, facing me. "If you want to keep breathing, then you shut up and come quiet."

I just growl in silence. The guards come closer to me with their guns ready to fire. "All right, hand's behind your head!" The officer orders. I did what he said, only slowly. Just then, a warship starts landing. "Bring her this way! Careful now!"

The Cavalry guards pulls Serah out of the crystal grounds. I start to worry at the very sight of it. Then I see them lifting Snow on a stretcher. I do some quick thinking, wondering what to do. Snow starts to regain conscious, then came to his senses after seeing Serah floating past him.

"Serah..." Snow then falls unconscious again, and then he gets carried to the airship. I slowly make my way to the airship, then I see Fang getting on her Velocycle. I noticed the guards are gonna make me walk close past the Velocycle. With that, I get an idea.

I wait for just the right time and moment. Fang starts up her Velocycle, and at that moment, I'm right next to it, and that's when I gasp and point at a distance. "More l'Cie!" I shout.

The guards around me aim their guns and attention at the distance. "Where?!"

With quick thinking, I punch Fang in the face and shoved her off, then quickly take her place. I look down at her on the crystal floor. "Thanks for the ride!" The Velocycle floats up in the air and then takes off.

Fang quickly notices the guards doing nothing. "Shoot him!" She orders.

Just like that, the guards starts shooting at me. I move too fast to get hit as I circle around the area. I take out some throwing stars and throw them at the guards. The throwing stars hits the guns, causing them to overload and electrocute. The guards quickly dropped them just as they static.

"Hey! I just upgraded mine! You owe me 3,000 gil for it!" One of the guards shouts at me.

I drive the Velocycle higher up until I'm out of the trench lands of Lake Bresha. I ride higher and higher until I reach the very ceiling of the sky. I look back at the troops, then forward.

"All right, now to find the others." I say.

Fang just watches the skies where I took off, then the officer walks up to her. "Should we give chase?"

Fang shook her head. "No...let him go. We got what we came for." Fang says, making her way to the airship.


	5. The Vile Peaks

A/N: Snow Villiers is captured while I escape from Fang and the Cavalry. How nice. Now we should check out how Lightning and the others are doing, when they become stranded in the Vile Peaks. How will this turn out, especially when they split into two teams?

Chapter 4: The Vile Peaks

Lightning and the group are inside the airship. Sazh starts it up and the airship takes off. Sazh, Hope and Vanille just screams as the airship flies it's way out of Lake Bresha to Hanging Edge. Upon arrival, few of PSICOM airships chases after them.

PSICOM warships at the end of the tunnel, on the surface of Cocoon, starts shooting into the tunnel. Sazh starts hard to avoid being shoot, which is hard given to clearance space there is to the size of the airship they're riding on and the size of the tunnel they're in.

"Give me that!" Lightning grabs the control stick and starts shooting the ships guns. One of the PSICOM warships gets shoot and explodes. The airship flies out of the tunnel, into a canyon that's coated in shadows.

"Did we get them?" Vanille asks.

Sazh and Lightning flies the airship around the air of Cocoon. "We got one of them." Lightning tells Vanille.

The other warships starts shooting and chasing the airship. "They're still on us." Hope panics.

Lightning and Sazh are fighting over the controls. "Stop that!" Sazh tells Lightning. When Sazh is driving the airship to one direction, Lightning drives it to the other. "I said stop it!" It was then the airship starts to make its way to a wall. Sazh just shoves Lightning back. "You wanna die?!"

Sazh takes control of the ship and have it driving up on the trench of the canyon.

"How are you gonna lose them?" Hope asks.

"You've got me kid!" Sazh asks, as he's struggling to keep on avoiding the lasers.

"Then let me!" Lightning orders.

"No thank you." Sazh tells her.

The ship flies higher and higher until it's out of the canyons and into the clouds in the sky. Unfortunately, that didn't help. the PSICOM airships at still on their tails, shooting at them. "They're still on us?"

Sazh tries hard flying around in the clouds, to shake the army off of them. Just their luck, one of the warships manages to hit them. "We're taking hits!"

The airship starts falling down. It falls down from the skies then Sazh regains altitude just when they're about to hit the water. The airship rides the waves of the river, with the army still chasing after them.

"Come on, give me a break!" Sazh shouts, clearly frustrated. The airship flies within the small canyon. Sazh sees a tight clearing just up ahead. "Hang on!"

Sazh shoots the airships guns at the walls, causing them to collapse. Sazh drives the airship underneath the rubble. When they reach the end, they fly out of the canyon, all clear and free. Sazh slams his fist in front of him. "Oh for the love of all that's good!"

Just then, hologram screens appears right in front of everyone's seats, snowing a news cast.

_"Next, an update on the status of the Purge. Just moments ago, the Sanctum announced the successful conclusion of the Purge along with the safe arrival of the Cocoon migrants to their new homes on Pulse."_

Sazh just shakes his head on that report, then the image changes snowing a news story on Primarch Dysley.

_"Yes, that is correct. There's no denying the enormity of the strain the Purge placed on us all." Lightning just glares at the screen hearing this. "But given the tens of millions of lives at stake, there truly was no alternative."_

The imagine of Primarch Dysley mini-sizes, in the middle of a news cast.

_"Primarch Dysley stood by the move, stressing the necessity of the relocation. When asked about the possibility of future Purges, the Primarch remained noncommittal stating only that he'd seek counsel with the fal'Cie Eden and weigh all options before making a decision."_

Hope just looks away mad hearing all this. "Yeah, that's right. If it makes the Sanctum look bad, it never even happened." Sazh says.

Vanille just pushes a button on the hologram screen and another video of Primarch Dysley is played.

_"In all the centuries since the War of Transgression, Cocoon has been spared Pulse aggression, and prospered for it. It is essential that we maintain this peace. That is the Sanctum's focus. We will continue employing every resource available to combat these threats to the harmony of our society."_

"Meaning, we'll be running for the rest of our lives." Sazh says.

"Hey, um...who is this guy?" Vanille asks.

Sazh just sighs deeply, as if Vanille's question is just a stupid one. "What do they teach kids these days? He's Galenth Dysley. The Sanctum Primarch...Murder-in-chief."

"Just another tool of the fal'Cie." Lightning says as another news report goes on.

_"According to our insta-poll, nearly ninety percent of Cocoon citizens agree with the Sanctum's handling of the Purge. Seventy percent of respondents said they would also support additional Purges were the need to arise."_

"Let's Purge everybody! That'll fix it!" Sazh says to the screen.

Just then, the alarms go off, that's when the warships found them and start shooting them again.

"Points for Perseverance!" Sazh says.

Just then, a bright light starts to shine at them, nearly blinding them. Sazh drives the airship to the clouds until the blindness dies down and they all see a large fal'Cie in the middle of the sky in gold light.

"Wow." Vanille is easily amazed at the view of it.

"A Sanctum fal'Cie up close and personal. Cocoon's own light in the sky." Sazh says. The airship gets hit again, then other PSICOM airships becomes within view. "Here we go again!"

"Fly in." Lightning suggests. "We'll lose them in there."

Sazh flies the airship into the fal'Cie. He tries hard to avoid the warships attacks, one of the lasers manages to hit the airship by one of it's engines. The airships starts falling down, burning up.

"Brace for impact!" Sazh shouts, as they fall towards the Vile Peaks.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

I ride my way out of the tunnel that Lightning and the others took moments ago, with PSICOM warships on my tail, shooting at me. I take evasive actions, avoiding their shoots.

"Can't I go five minutes without the army chasing after me?" I ask with irritation. I pull one of the levers above me. The guns come out of the Velocycle. I did some quick work around the controls. I cause the engines to cut off, quickly turn around, make the engines flip backwards (Switching to reverse that is) and turn them back on.

I drive backwards as I start firing back at the warships. "Eat hot lasers, PSICOM punks!"

I take both evasion actions and firing back at the PSICOM warships. Taking evasion actions isn't easy while trying to avoid being shoot and avoiding what the land is offering. The second part is much worse when driving backwards.

I manage to shoot one of them down, but I still have two ships coming at me. One of the warships readies a missile. The PSICOM trooper aims it at me until it's locked on its target.

"I got you now." The trooper says, as he fires the missile. I look at my rear-view mirror to see I'm coming up against a wall. I figured I can make this work. I step hard on the gas, going faster, but not as fast as the warships. Only fast enough that both the warships and the missile is getting closer inch by inch.

I lock my attention to the mirror, seeing how close I'm getting to the wall. "Almost there..." At the right moment, about a fifty yards from the wall, I lean to the side, casting a Ruin at the missile. The missile explodes, unleashing a heavy dense of smoke. the moment that happens, I give a sharp upwards turn. Since I'm driving backwards, I'm facing downwards. It's a good thing I can get a view to see what happens next, the warship crashing against the wall.

I just laugh as I turn the airship to be facing upward and switched the engines back so I'm moving forward. "Suckers." Just when I was about to enjoy the moment, I'm being shoot. I look at my mirrors to see one warship coming out of that smoke. "Oh come on!"

I take evasive action, avoiding the lasers. This one warship is pretty tough. We fly higher within the trench. I can almost see the end. Just then, one of the lasers hits a pillar hanging on one of the walls. I became shocked when I noticed it's falling towards me when it's about five feet away.

I manage to slide out of the way just the second it was about to hit me. The PSICOM trooper saw that, but he panics and fails to avoid the rock slide, and the warship explodes. I look back to see that, and smiles in triumph.

I make my way out of the trench and ride in the skies of Cocoon. I look around to see no signs of PSICOM warships, or the Sanctums either. Upon that, I manage to relax and fly smoothly.

"All right...now to find Lightning and the others. I hope they're okay." I say, as I drive the Velocycle closer to the lands.

* * *

The airship crash lands in the rocky dreadlands of the Vile Peaks. Everyone lays unconscious as their crashed airship burns into flames. Lightning's the first to regain conscious. She looks at Hope, who's out cold right next to her. She looks down at him with a hand on his back. "Hey..."

Just then, Lightning senses they're not alone. She looks around for any enemies, that's when a party of Pantheron's jumps right in. Lightning makes a stand, then looks back to see Vanille is starting to wake up. Lightning takes out her gunblade and faces the Pantherons. Vanille is on her knees, she gasps at the sight of Lightning fighting alone, then she starts waking up Sazh.

"Hey! Wake up!" Sazh starts to awake, then Vanille quickly moves to Hope's side. "You've gotta wake up!" Sazh is already sitting up, and Hope struggles to wake up. "Look!"

Sazh turns to see Lightning is facing against the Pantheron's alone. Vanille rushes in. "Hey! Slow down!" Sazh tells Vanille. She doesn't, so he joins in on the fight. Sazh shoots at the Pantheron's while Vanille casts her magic at them. The Pantheron's fall real quick against the l'Cie.

After the fight Vanille moves aside, groaning in relief. "Glad that's over!" Sazh follows Vanille, but Lightning doesn't. She stands in place while returning her Gunblade into it's holster. Vanille and Sazh sits down on the ground in exhaustion.

"Woo! Man I'm beat." Sazh says. But he notices Lightning moving on. "What, no break?"

Lightning just stops on her tracks. "They're tracking us."

"I know that. I know that, but we aren't soldiers!" Sazh tells Lightning. "We don't have your kind of stamina."

Lightning just looks back at them. "You've got enough to complain."

Lightning just moves on. "Oh that's...Forget it!" Sazh yells at Lightning.

Sazh and Vanille just sits in place, relaxing. Hope walks up in front of them. "I think, um..."

Sazh can tell what Hope's thinking, just from his expression. "I'd stick with her if I were you."

"Later then." Hope runs off, catching after Lightning.

Sazh and Vanille stays behind. After a moment, Vanille hops up on her feet. "Come on. Let's get going."

"Get going to where, exactly?" Sazh asks. "The whole of Cocoon's against us. No matter how far we run, there's no escape. That Cie'th clock, it's still a-ticking."

"There's still time." Vanille tells him. Vanille leans in to Sazhs face. "You give up too easy, old man!"

"I'm not giving up." Sazh says. "But there are some things that you can't just change. A kid like you would not understand."

Vanille leans into Sazhs face, with an expression of both offended and silliness. "Yeah, I'm a kid!" Vanille stands straight, turning away from Sazh while crossing her arms. "I don't understand!"

Sazh just sighs and then starts standing up. "Well, I guess we can be fugitives together...You ready?"

Vanille nods. "Ready!" Vanille gets behind Sazh and starts pushing him with excitement.

Sazh and Vanille takes the path Lightning and Hope took. When they pass the first bridge, the bridge on the left side, that Lightning and Hope took, falls apart from a large generator rolling onto it. Sazh and Vanille were startled from the generator then becomes disappointed to see the bridge destroyed.

"End of the road." Sazh says.

Vanille looks at the pile of rubble behind Sazh. "But at least it's not the end of the line. Vanille just stands there, with her hands behind her back.

[Flashback: Day 11 - The Seaside city of Bodhum]

Everyone just watches the fireworks inside the dome sphere. Amazed by the exploding lights. Vanille, however, walks her way through the crowd, looking for something. Vanille just stops in the middle of the crowd, then looks up at the fireworks, amazed at their beauty. As she watches the fireworks, she puts her hands together, with her pinky and index fingers out, and looks down closing her eyes, making a wish.

Meanwhile, Lightning is also looking up at the fireworks. Just standing in place like she's drifting off into her own mind. Lieutenant Amodar walks up right behind Lightning, noting her staring at the fireworks.

"You look dreamy, Farron." Lightning was startled hearing her lieutenant. Lightning turns around, facing him, and steps back. "Wishing on fireworks, were you?" Amodar chuckles at Lightning. "And you call yourself a soldier."

Lightning stands straight. "Sorry, Lieutenant. But I really don't think guard duty is my calling, sir." Lightning bows to her Lieutenant. Amodar makes Lightning stand back up.

"Well, lucky for you, your shift just ended. Pack it up and go home." Amodar turns to look at the fireworks.

Lightning seems a little disappointed. "But, sir?"

"PSICOM found something in the Vestige nearby. they don't want the Guardian Corps here stepping on their toes." Amodar looks at Lightning. "I'm sure you heard about the accident at the Euride Gorge energy plant and how it has the PSICOM lads in a tizzy."

Lightning thinks for a moment, then looks back at the fireworks. "Yeah, more 'incident' then accident." She turns her head back to Amodar. "Something Pulse-related?"

Amodar doesn't really answer Lightnings question, but instead asks her a question. "You're taking tomorrow off?"

Lightning looks at her lieutenant. "Sir, for my birthday, sir. My sister, she insisted on it."

Amodar looks down at Lightning. "Twenty-one, huh?" Amodar puts a hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Maybe it's a good time to send off that letter of recommendation for officer training."

Lightning looks at Amodar, surprised. "Lieutenant..."

"You're past due for a promotion, Farron. Think of your sister, and your future. And, uh...keep your nose out of trouble."

"Out of PSICOM business, you mean." Lightning corrects.

"Yeah. Nothing good will come of it. Nothing but grief." Amodar looks back at the fireworks. "Whoa. Look at that one!"

Lightning looks back at the fireworks, not really amazed, just her normal expression.

[Flashback ends]

"How right you were, lieutenant." Lightning says as me walks through the rubble of the Vile Peaks. Hope runs towards Lightning, trying to catch up. She stops as soon as she hears footsteps. "Just you?"

Hope stops right behind Lightning. "For now, I guess. Should we wait?"

Lightning continues on. "They'll catch up. Eventually."

Lightning and Hope makes their way down the Vile Peaks. Hope wonders about all the junk and rubble that surrounds them. In their way are nothing but PSICOM troops and Pantheron's. At the end of their path, Lightning leaps from rock to rock to the lower ground level of the peaks. Hope jumps down as well, only not as fast of Lightning.

When Hope makes it to the bottom, he sees nothing but a blocked path. "Dead end. Guess we have to go back." Lightning doesn't give up. She looks up at a large wall of a damaged airship. "Can we get through this way, you think?" lightning doesn't really answer. "You...know where you're going, right?"

"I've been here on missions before." Lightning answers.

"Missions?" Hope seems curious. "Nothing to do with the Purge, though?"

Lightning turns to face Hope. "The Purge is PSICOM's baby." Lightning moves in front of the wall. "Our military split into two arms." Lightning starts climbing up the rocks in front of the wall. "The Public Security and Intelligence Command, known as PSICOM, and the Guardian Corps. I was Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment."

"Wait, but I don't get it. If you're not PSICOM, then why did you board the train?" Hope asks.

Lightning looks down at Hope. "For Serah."

[Flashback: Day 13 - Bodhum Station]

Everyone is lined up for the train, all the citizens are worried and in fear. "Join the end of the line!" The soldier says to the crowd. "Attention Purge deportees. Follow instructions, and stay in your lines. Personal belongings will be returned upon arrival."

Just then, some of the citizens starts fleeing. The PSICOM soldiers chases after them, and then shoots them. The rest of the citizens gasps in horror at the sight of it. "Do not leave your lines! This is for your own safety!"

Lightning makes her way towards the train. I follow her from behind. "What do you mean I can't come with you?" I ask.

"I don't need any help, or anyone to slow me down." Lightning says. "Besides, I don't work with Mercenaries."

"Just because I'm a Mercenary doesn't mean I can't help out." I say.

"I don't care. I can't even pay you." Lightning says. "You're not coming. That's final."

I grab Lightning's shoulder and pull her around to face me. "Listen, here, Farron. Serah maybe your sister, but she's my friend! Besides, I've witnessed the Purge once when I was a kid, it's nothing you can handle alone. I'm going with you to rescue Serah, you won't turn me down and you're gonna like it!"

Lightning seems a little surprised. "I see you care for my sister that much. Very well. Just don't get in my way."

"I'm an archer. I stand back and shoot. But you're a soldier...so basically, it's you who shouldn't get in my way." I say.

Lightning just turns and continues on. "You know what I mean."

I follow Lightning as well. Lightning approaches in front of the PSICOM soldier. The soldier gets a look at Lightning. "What's the GC..." The soldier looks behind Lightning to notice me. "And a Mercenary? ...What are you two doing here?" The trooper looks at me. "I don't recall PSICOM hiring you." Then back at Lightning. "As for you, This op's under PSICOM direction."

"So direct us." Lightning says. "Let me on. I want to be Purged."

I raise my hand, looking past Lightnings shoulder. "Same here."

The soldier sighs, looking at the train, then leans to Lightnings ear, whispering. "Only civs get Purged. Sanctum staff and soldiers are exempt."

Lightning takes her Gunblade out of its holster then hands it to the soldier. "Then I quit."

The soldier nods. "Line up!"

Lightning makes her way to the line while I have a little conversion with the soldier. Lightning moves to the end of the line, then Sazh joins in after her. Sazh notices the person in front of him is a Guardian Corp.

"Excuse me. Hey, lady." Lightning doesn't really respond. "What gives?"

Lightning looks over her shoulder at Sazh. "I volunteered."

"Really? You don't look ready to go quiet into that good night." Sazh says.

"You want quiet, you'd better take the next train." Lightning tells him.

Sazh seems curious, he was about to ask Lightning what she meant, until I arrive and lean close to her. "The soldier's making me board the next train. This one's gonna be full when I'm in the front." Lightning gives a single nod. "You go on ahead, I'll try to catch up. We'll meet up in the Vestige. Be careful out there."

I make my way to the back of the line. Sazh over heard that conversion, then Lightning moves on in the line.

"Well, now I really want to see what you two are up to." Sazh says, following Lightning.

[Flashback ends]

"I had to rescue Serah before they transported the Vestige to Pulse, and out of my reach." Lightning explains. "My only chance to save her was to join the Purge."

"You're telling me you got on that train so you could save your sister?" Hope asks. Lightning doesn't answer his question, didn't really bother Hope. "That's crazy. I could never do something like that."

"It's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life you just do."

Hope just looks down. "Easy for someone like you say."

Lightning looks back at Hope hearing that. Lightning just sighs as Hope, then starts to climb the wall. Hope looks up, noticing how far she's gotten, then stands reaching for her. "Lightning!"

Hope watches her climbing up the wall. In no time, she made it to the top and is out of sight. Hope sits back down on the rock, looking down in depression. "She left me..."

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning walks down the path, by stops after about ten feet. She looks back, and moves back as well. She looks back down to see Hope is just sitting there depressed. She doesn't expect Hope to be able to follow her, knowing he doesn't have the ability to climb the wall. Lightning just sighs.

"Maybe I shouldn't have left him behind." Lightning says.

Lightning thinks for a moment, wondering, then she looks up into the sky. "Serah...what should I do?"

Lightning spends the next five minutes, then she gets up and decides to move on. After a few feet away from the cliff, she looks back, just checking. Still no sign of Hope. Lightning shakes that thought out and continues moving on.

"Don't bother. He'll only slow you down."

Hope remains behind. He looks down, lost and confused.

"What am I gonna do?" Hope says. "Lost my mom, became a l'Cie, got left behind from Lightning..." Hope looks back at the cliff where he and Lightning were at. "Maybe I should have stayed with Sazh and Vanille."

* * *

Meanwhile, Sazh is just looking at the dead end, where the bridge was once at. While Vanille behind him is starting to climb through the pile of junk. "One, two, three." Vanille pulls herself up on the junk. "Up we go!"

Sazh turns around, seeing what Vanille's doing behind his back, literally. "What are you up to?" Sazh is surprised to see Vanille climbing up the junk. "Hey! Wait up!"

Sazh starts climbing up the pile of junk, wither poorly. By the time he made it up, Vanille is already skipping junk to junk, giggling like she's chasing a unicorn on rainbows. Sazh looks to see Vanille is ahead of Sazh, then notices her jumping off the pile onto the other side. "Can't keep up with the girl!"

Vanille just waits ahead for Sazh. In about five minutes, he makes it to the other side, all tired and exhausted. He hands bending down with his hands on his knees. "You getting tired?" Vanille asks.

"A little." Sazh says. Sazh stands up straight, his spine cracking from a stretch.

"Well, let's get moving then." Vanille says, giggling and skipping towards a metal tunnel in front of them.

"Whoa, hey, wait up!" Sazh goes after Vanille. When they made it past the tunnel, they noticed a Pulsework Soldier and three Watchdrone's are fighting each other.

Vanille seems surprised "Are these robots fighting each other?" Vanille asks.

Sazh takes out his pistols. "Seems that way. Let's get the jump on them." Sazh starts shooting at the robots. Vanille just raises her shoulders and then starts casting her offensive magic spells at the robots.

The robots don't bother to pay attention to Sazh and Vanille, just focus on fighting each other. In under ten seconds, the robots are destroyed. Sazh puts away his pistols and approaches to some machine in the middle of the area.

"Eh...what do we have here? Never seen a rig like this before." Sazh starts working on the machine, and it activities. "Here we go."

The machine shoots some magnet gripper onto the large generator that's block their path. Sazh is surprised to see the generator being pulled back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! ...I knew that would happen."

Vanille just laughs and taps the tip of Sazhs nose. "Of course you did, old man."

Vanille skips on ahead and Sazh just follows her from behind. Vanille just looks at all the rubble and junk that surrounds them. "Cocoon treats everything from Pulse as evil, doesn't it?"

"Pretty much." Sazh and Vanille enters the next tunnel ahead.

They run to the end to the tunnel only to find it blocked. Sazh looks at the control penal and pushes a button. Sazh can see the giant fan is trying to spin. He and Vanille backs up until the fan breaks through the junk and clears the path.

Sazh sighs in relief. "Piece of cake." Sazh and Vanille makes their way through the fan blades and out of the tunnel.

They walk down until Vanille gasps as she gets a sight of Hope. "Hey! Hope!" Vanille and Sazh approaches at the depressed boy. "We made it."

Sazh notices someone in their party missing. "Where's grumpy?" Hope doesn't say a word, but looks up the wall Lightning climbed over, then back down at his feet. "Got left behind, huh?"

Sazh puts a hand on Hopes shoulder, only as soon as he does, Hope gets up and shoves him off. "Leave me alone!" Hope walks away from Sazh and Vanille, then stops on his tracks. "This is pointless. Can't keep up. Can't get home...it's over for me."

Vanille moves in front of Hope. "It's not over! We'll get you home!"

"I don't have one. Now that mom is..." Hope doesn't say anything else, doesn't want to be reminded of her death.

"What about your dad?" Vanille asks.

Hope doesn't answer Vanilles question.

[Flashback: Day 11 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

Hope and his mother are watching the fireworks, with the crowd. Hope and his mother are having some time together on a little vacation. After hearing about the fireworks happening in Bodhum, they just decided to go.

Nora silently makes a wish. When she's done, she looks at Hope, noticing he's not doing the same, but just looking up at the fireworks. "Not making a wish, Hope?"

Hope just smiles at his mother. "Mom, you still believe in that kind of stuff?" Nora nods. "Wishing on fireworks? Really? That's for little kids." (Try telling that to Serah and Snow, I suppose Lightning as well.)

Nora just quickly grabs Hope by the neck and pull him into a hug, both of them laugh. "Who are you calling 'kid'?"

"You. What did you wish for?" Hope asks.

"That next year, your father could come with us." Nora says.

Hope's happiness suddenly turns into depression. Hope shakes himself out of his mothers arms and turns from her. "Why? It's better like this. We don't need him."

Nora just gives her son a sad look. She knows he doesn't get along well with his father.

[Flashback ends]

"That night, they found the fal'Cie in the Bodhum Vestige. The next day, soldiers sealed off the town and we couldn't get back to Palumpolum." Hope explains. "They forced us onto the train with everyone else." Vanille just gasps hearing that. "My mom, she was frantic. She wanted to get us home, so she tried to fight." Vanille walks up to Hope, then Hope turns to look at Vanille. "She got tricked, by Snow. He used her!"

Vanille just goes ahead and smile at Hope. "Let's get you home, okay? Your dad's got to be worried."

"Let him worry." Hope turns from Vanille. "Why should I care? He doesn't."

"Any father cares." Sazh tells him.

Vanille looks at Sazh, she notices there's something going on with him. She can tell from the tone and the expression on his face.

"Sazh?"

Sazh just looks away. "It's nothing, forget it."

Sazh walks up to that magnet machine and takes a look at it. "This ought to do it." Sazh turns it on and it launches a magnet gripper onto the junk and pulls it back, creating a stairway path up on the wall.

"We've got time." Sazh turns to look at Hope. "We'll get you back home...Your dad will be happy to see you."

Sazh and the kids takes the newly made path up on the wall. Hope wonders if he'll be able to catch up to Lightning, the girl is probably long gone by now. When they make it to the top of that wall, they walk down the path.

In that path, they see nothing but destroyed Pulseworkers and Watchdrone's and slain Pantheron's. They can tell Lightning was here. "Yep, soldier girl was here all right." Sazh says. They follow the trail of corpses, hoping it'll lead them to their fearless leader.

After walking for a while, Hope suddenly becomes aware, he thought he heard something. He doesn't like it. He looks up to see some strange creatures in the shadows up on the piles of rubble. "There's something up there!"

Just like that, the two Demon's, a Stikini and Succubus, lands right in front of the group. Sazh takes out his pistol guns and starts shooting at them.

"Guess soldier girl's missed a few." The two Demon's falls rather quickly from Sazh's shooting. After that, Vanille walks past the corpses and stares at a fallen warship ahead.

"Isn't that a...?"

"A warship from Pulse." Sazh finishes for Vanille.

"You mean they made it this far?" Vanille asks innocently.

"Of course not." Sazh says, a bit annoyed. "Not during the war, not since. They might have tried. But none of their forces made it into Cocoon. They only damaged the outer rim. Then the Sanctum's fal'Cie pushed them back." Sazh looks at Vanille. "What, did you sleep through History?"

Vanille just laughs. "More or less. So, what's a ship from Pulse doing here?"

"Once the war was over, people couldn't live near the tim anymore. In places like the Hanging Edge. So the fal'Cie, they gathered up scrap from Pulse, and used it for rebuilding here." Hope explains. "This is what was left: a bunch of garbage."

"Who'da thunk? A Pulse fal'Cie and who-knows-what, mixed in with all the trash?" Sazh says.

This conversion just makes Vanille upset, in a sorrow way. "Who'da thunk...I'm gonna go peek ahead." Vanille moves on ahead.

Sazh just follows her. "Do me a favor: Stop wandering off and stay where I can keep my eye on you." Sazh tells Vanille.

The group walks for a while on the path, in search for Lightning and cutting down any enemies that survived from Lightnings assault.

They arrive at some ramp that's leading a path onto of the garbage. Of course, when they went up, that's when Lightning jumps in and joins the group.

"Hey, welcome to the party!" Sazh tells her.

"You miss us?" Vanille asks happily.

Lightning just gives them the cold silence and moves ahead. "Time to move."

"Would it kill her to smile?" Sazh asks.

Vanille just giggles and then follows Lightning, Sazh and Hope follows them as well. The group moves on as they cut down any of the Demons and Pulsework Soldier's that stands in their way.

Lightning does most of the fighting, Sazh and Vanille hardly gets a chance to either shoot or casts some offensive magic at the enemies before Lightning strikes them.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

As they move on, they noticed a small PSICOM encampment. They hide behind some rubble from a distance. They noticed the troops are just sitting there around the campfire. "You think we could take them?" Sazh whispers.

"We can, but we shouldn't charge in. We might draw attention to the rest of the swat team." Lightning says.

"So we're gonna sneak past them?" Hope asks.

"Might be best. But we're gonna need some kind of distraction." Sazh says.

Just then, Vanille jumps and claps her hands. "Oh! I got an idea!"

Vanille skips to a pile of rubble, digging and searching around. Lightning, Hope and Sazh just watches Vanille. With Sazh and Hope, it's confusion, wondering what the girl is up to. Lightning, she crosses her arms and gives a look that Vanille is either being pointless and silly or just wasting her time.

Vanille takes out an old flashlight. She tries it out, it still works, then she giggles and jumps in excitement. Vanille lays the flashlight on a rock, aiming it at the camp, and turns it on. A spotlight appears in the wall in front of the PSICOM troops.

"What are you doing?" Sazh asks.

"Check it out. I've been practicing." Vanille holds her hands and fingers together in front of the light, doing shadow puppets.

The PSICOM troops notices the spotlight, and the shadow puppet. "Uh, what's going on?" One of them asks. They see a shadow of a little kitty cat, sitting and looking like it's licking its paw.

"This is ridiculous." Lightning says. "You're gonna blow our cover!"

Lightning marches towards Vanille, but Sazh and Hope stops her. "No, no. Wait, Lightning. Look." Hope says.

Lightning looks ahead, noticing the PSICOM troops are just sitting there watching the shadow puppets. "Aww, look. It's a little kitty cat." One of them says. "It's so cute."

"It better not be an actual cat, I'm allergic." The second trooper says.

"Something strange is going on here." The Sergeant says, curious.

Vanille quickly shifts puppets and does a shadow of a Chocobo, peaking at the ground. "Oh hey, it's a Chocobo." The second trooper says.

Vanille looks back at the group and tilts her head, telling them to go. Lightning was the first to sneak by, with Hope following her, and Sazh following them a little late. "I remember back in Nautilus, me and my son, we use to go visit the Chocobos and pet them." The second trooper says. "My son wanted to ride one of them."

"And he did?" The first trooper asks.

"Yes, but quickly fell off." The two troopers laugh at the story.

The sergeant starts to stand up. "Stay focus, guys. I think someone's trying to distract us."

Lightning, Sazh and Hope panics when they see the Sergeant getting up. Lightning waves her hand in circles, telling Vanille to wrap something up. Vanille thinks fast, and shifts her hands until she was doing a little bunny on the shadow puppets.

The sergeant sits back down. "Aww, look. It's a cute little bunny rabbit." The Sergeant says. Lightning and the others sighs in relief, and then they continue sneaking past them.

"I never knew you liked bunnies." The first trooper says.

"Are you kidding? I use to have one when I was a little kid." The Sergeant says. The Sergeant waves at the shadow puppets. "Hi little bunny." Vanille just giggles seeing the Sergeant, then she makes a shadow Behemoth, roaring at the bunny. "Ah! Look out! It's a Behemoth! Run, little bunny! RUN!"

After the Sergeant shouted, Vanille makes the shadow Behemoth attack the shadow Bunny, chomping and slashing it. "NO!" Lightning and the others made it past the campsite. Lightning waves at Vanille, telling her to come. Vanille nods. When she sees the Sergeant weeping down at his lap, she turns off the flashlight and hurries, but quietly, past the camp.

"Why? Why did it have to die so young?!" The Sergeant weeps.

The two troopers try to comfort their Sergeant. "There, there, Sergeant. It's okay."

Vanille makes it to the group and they all hurry up and move on, putting good distance between them and the troops.

"Wow, Vanille. That was some impressive shadow puppet back there." Hope says.

Vanille smiles and giggles. "Thanks, Hope."

"It was impressive, I'll admit. But we'll need to keep moving." Lightning says, moving on.

Sazh just sighs. "Well, at least she made a compliment."

* * *

After that little event, the group makes their way through the rubble. After minutes of traveling, the group enters a wide open area that's most like a dead end. In the center of the area is a large pile of junk. Only as soon as they approach it, a large pulse armament, a Dreadnought, raises out of the rubble.

Sazh is startled from the machine. "What is that?"

Lightning takes out her Gunblade. "Pulse armament."

Hope stands back while Sazh and Vanille stands by with Lightning. "And that's bad for us, ain't it?"

"You have eyes, don't you?" Lightning asks.

Lightning charges at the Dreadnought, striking at it. Vanille shifts into Saboteur and weakens the machines defenses with Deprotect and Deshell. Sazh shifts into Synergist and blesses everyone with Bravery, Faith and Vigilance.

The Dreadnought strikes at the group with it's large arms. Vanille shifts into Ravager and starts Aero and Blizzard at the Dreadnought. Lightning strikes at the Dreadnought with Blitz then casts a Ruin at it.

Sazh shifts into Ravager and casts Fire at the machine. The Dreadnought stands in front of the ground. It raises it's body up then slams on top of them. Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cure on herself and Lightning and Sazh. Lightning shifts into Ravager and casts Thunder at the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought strikes at Sazh, but then Vanille heals him with Cure.

Vanille shifts back into Ravager and casts Blizzard at the machine. Sazh and Lightning shifts into Commando and starts assaulting the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought staggers back. Lightning flips back, staying close with Sazh and Vanille.

The machine stands in place, sending Lightning into curiosity. The Dreadnought raises it's head, revealing a cannon underneath it. The cannon starts charging. Vanille and Sazh panics and runs. Lightning runs as well, but just to avoid. As soon as they ran, the cannon fires, exploding the ground they stand on.

Everyone, including Hope, falls into the caverns below. The Dreadnought walks forward and looks down, eyeing the group starts to get up.

"Thought we were goners. You all right?" Sazh asks.

"I think so." Vanille says.

Lightning looks up, with her Gunblade ready to strike. "Incoming!"

The Dreadnought falls in, landing in front of the group. The impact causing a rumble, staggering everyone but Lightning a little.

Lightning charges at the machine and strikes it. The Dreadnought blasts flames out of it's arms and strikes the group three times with it's flamethrowers. Vanille shifts back into Medic and casts Cure on the group. Sazh repeatedly casts Ruin at the Dreadnought.

Sazh shifts into Synergist and casts Protect on himself and Lightning and Vanille. Lightning shifts into Ravager and does some Sparkstrikes at the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought performs its wrecking ball. It raises its head, charging the cannon underneath and fires a cannon ball at the group.

Vanille casts Cure at the group, healing them. Sazh shifts into Ravager and cast does Flamestrikes at the Dreadnought. Lightning shifts into Commando and casts some Ruin spells at the machine. Vanille shifts into Saboteur and refreshes the Deprotect and Deshell spells on the Dreadnought.

Sazh does some more of his Flamestrikes at the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought does its vicious flame throw strikes at the group. Lightning and Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cure on each other and then Sazh, then they shift back into Commando/Ravager and resumes striking and casting Aero and Blizzard.

The Dreadnought sparks and staggers on its defeat, then it's entire body collapses and shuts down. Vanille and Sazh pants in exhaustion.

"Pulse is crawling with things like that, isn't it?" Sazh asks.

"Got me. Not even the Corps has access to intel on Pulse." Lightning turns to look at Sazh. "Soldiers in the field fight blind."

"Yeah, I noticed that. But don't you need to know exactly what you're up against?" Sazh asks.

Lightning just looks ahead, to an upward path that seems to lead to the surface. "Target's a target."

"You like to keep it simple, don't you?" Sazh asks.

Lightning just crosses her arms. "I stick to my goal."

Hope looks at Lightning from behind. "As long as you have a goal...you can fight?"

Lightning moves ahead. "You can stay alive."

Sazh and the others follows her into the hallway. They go up and up until they reach the surface of the Vile Peaks. Vanille just sighs and jumps.

"This looks like easy going!" Vanille says.

While everyone is staying in place, resting from the fight, Lightning moves on. "I'm gonna scout ahead."

Sazh just sighs and then he gets up and follows her. Hope and Vanille do the same. "We just can't get a break, can't we?" Sazh asks.

Everyone moves ahead until they ran into some giant destroyed war cannon. Lightning and Sazh sits on the high ground of the destroyed war cannon while Vanille and Hope are down below on the ground level. Hope is just standing in place while Vanille is just skipping around.

"Not much of a future for us, huh?" Sazh asks.

"Hard to picture a happy ending." Lightning tells him.

Sazh wonders about something. "I wonder how Snow and Patrick are doing."

"Who can say." Lightning says.

"We don't even know where to go."

Lightning stands up. "I do." Sazh looks at Lightning, noticing she's looking up at the sky. "There."

Sazh looks up and he only sees a large air city in the sky. "Eden? The Sanctum's seat of power. Oh, that's a great idea. Just charge right in there. Give them a taste of l'Cie terror."

Lightning turns facing Sazh. "You got any better ideas?"

Sazh thinks. "Well...we could go to Nautilus, the City of Dreams." Lightning just scoffs the idea and returns her attention to Eden. Sazh looks at Lightning, she's not turning her attention away from the Eden, then he starts to realize. "You're serious."

"Keep running. It's die or turn Cie'th." Lightning walks aside. "There's no place for l'Cie to hide. No...they want a fight?" Lightning looks back up at Eden. "Let's take it to the Sanctum's door!"

"This isn't a game!" Sazh tells Lightning. Nearly overhearing the conversion, Hope and Vanille makes their way to Lightning and Sazh.

"No." Lightning turns to face Sazh. "That's for damn sure. It started with Serah. The fal'Cie took her. Now I'm a l'Cie too, and the Sanctum's hunting me, an enemy of the state. But who's pulling their strings?" Lightning looks back up at Eden. "A fal'Cie...Eden. Cocoon's Sustainer and Guiding Light." Lightning moves her hand on her chest, where her brand rests. "It probably ordered the Purge, too. Pulse and Sanctum fal'Cie? They're all the same. And we're all the same to them: Expendable. I'm not dying a fal'Cie slave."

"So? What are you gonna do?" Sazh asks.

"Destroy it."

Sazh is surprised to hear that. "By yourself? What, are you crazy? Say you pull it off. What's that get you? Satisfaction?" Sazh turns away from Lightning and puts a hand on his head. "Something happens to Eden, it's lights out Cocoon!" Saying that makes him realize something, then he turns back to Lightning. "You want that. You're a pulse l'Cie now, so you just want to snuff out Cocoon!"

"No!" Lightning and Sazh turns their attention to Vanille. "What about Serah? She said to save Cocoon. It might even be our Focus to make sure Cocoon stay-"

Lightning interrupts Vanille. "Our Focus doesn't matter!" Everyone is disappointed to hear that, even Vanille. "I don't take orders from fal'Cie. How I live is up to me."

"Don't you mean how you die?" Sazh asks.

"Think like that, and it's already over." Lightning tells him. "Better to pick your path and keep moving." Hearing that makes Hope thinking. Lightning turns to face Sazh. "Don't worry. I'm after the Sanctum. I'm not out to destroy the world. If it did come to that." Lightning scoffs. "Wonder if out 'hero' would try to stop me."

Sazh is surprised. "You want to fight Snow now? Just like that, and you're enemies?"

"Next time we meet, we might be too." Lightning says.

"Oh...it's like we're talking to Patrick." Vanille says.

Lightning just humphs and walks off, right past Vanille and Hope as they all watch Lightning leave, up until she's out of sight.

"Snow deserves it." Hope shouts at Vanille and Sazh. Hope starts running, going after Lightning.

Vanille watches Hope leave as Sazh looks at the sky, then Vanille shook her head. "I don't know what I should do."

"That makes two of us." Sazh says.

Vanille looks at Sazh. After a moment of silence, Vanille just slaps him on the back, nearly knocking Sazh forward down. "Hey! You're taking care of me." Vanille says to him giggling.

"I won't be if you keep pushing me like that." Vanille just laughs at Sazhs little joke. (It's a joke to her, who knows?)

Lightning moves on in the Vile Peaks. "Wait for me!" Lightning stops and turns to see Hope running up to her. Hope leans forward with his hands on his knees, panting in exhaustion. "I'm going with you."

"I can't babysit you anymore." Lightning tells him.

Hope stands up straight, facing Lightning. "I can fight! I'm not afraid!"

Just when Lightning was about to answer, she senses trouble. She turns to see a PSICOM team coming up at them, aiming their guns at Lightning and Hope.

"Great, a PSICOM hit squad." Lightning says.

One of the troopers pushes the detonator button and causes an explosion right behind Lightning and Hope. Lightning and Hope turns around to see flames blocking off of their path, and then the junk from the walls starts tumbling down, blocking out the road.

There's no turning back for Lightning and Hope.

Lightning returns her attention to the PSICOM squad. She takes out her Gunblade and charges at them. Hope notices Lightning charging at the gunners as they start shooting at her. Hope quickly shifts into Synergist and blesses Lightning with Protect.

Hope shifts back into Ravager and casts Fire and Blizzard at the troops. Lightning uses Blitz and slashes down two of the troops. Hope freezes one of the troops with his blizzard, then blasts a fire at it. The ice shatters and the soldier dies.

Lightning strikes at another gunner. One of them is right behind Lightning, getting ready to strike her. Lightning turns, she was about to strike but then sees he gets blown away from Hope's Aero. The soldier crashes against the wall, falling unconscious.

Lightning was impressed. She looks at Hope, who's exhausted with his hands on his knees. "Not bad." Lightning tells him.

Hope rests for a moment, then looks up at Lightning. "Really? Thanks."

Lightning looks at the pile of rubble that's blocking their way back to Sazh and Vanille.

Sazh and Vanille are standing in from of the blockade from the other side. They can both see there's no way through.

"Uh-oh. Army's out to play." Sazh says.

"What now?" Vanille asks

"What now?" Sazh isn't entirely sure what to do at the moment. "Well, we could stay here, but shouldn't we...uh."

"Run?" Vanille suggests. Sazh just looks at Vanille with confusion. "We should run. If we rush in now, we'll just get in her way."

Sazh looks back at the blockade, thinking about what Vanille said. "You know, you're right. I guess. I mean it's not like Lightning needs any help."

Vanille nods, then she and Sazh moves on in the other direction.

"There will be more soldiers. We should keep moving." Hope looks at Lightning, noticing she's still facing the blockade. "Lightning? Are you worried about the others? I'm sure they got away okay."

"So can you if you leave now." Lightning says, turning to face Hope. "With me it'll be fight after fight." Lightning walks right past Hope. "I don't know how it'll end, it's anybody's guess."

Hope looks down at his feet hearing that. "I know that, but...I need to be stronger." Hope receives no answer, then he looks up at Lightning. "Lightning?"

"Call me 'light'." Lightning tells Hope.

Lightning moves head, but then stops hearing Hope. "What's the plan from here?"

Lightning turns to face Hope. "Through the Gapra Whitewood to Palumpolum. We'll find transport to Eden."

Hope is a little surprised to hear the plan. "I live in Palumpolum. I can show you all the shortcuts."

"No side trips." Lightning moves on ahead.

Hope follows Lightning. "No need. I don't think l'Cie are welcome at home."

Lightning and Hope spend the next few minutes walking. The path they took are filled with corpses of enemies, seems strange, and they haven't been down this path.

Arriving in the one area, Lightning sees two PSICOM trackers in front of a deactivated Dreadnought. Lightning hides behind a boulder. When Hope shows up, she grabs and pulls him towards her.

"What are..." Lightning shushes at Hope, then returns her attention to PSICOM ahead.

"Any trace of the l'Cie?" The one tracker asks.

"Nothing. No sign it's been activated." The second tracker says. the second PSICOM tracker turns. As soon as he did, Lightning quickly hides back at the boulder, but that didn't change anything. "Who's there?"

The two trackers heads towards the boulder. One of them is about to look behind it only to find a Gunblade stabbed right through him. The PSICOM tracker dies, and Lightning charges at the other one. Lightning knocks the tracker out with a jab in the stomach and a spiral kick in the face.

Hope comes out of hiding and walks up to the deactivated Dreadnought. "What was PSICOM doing here?" Hope asks.

Lightning looks at the Dreadnought as Hope approaches it. "Probably through we'd try and use a pulse machine to escape."

"Maybe we should try it." Hope looks around the Pulse machine. "What does this do?"

"Hey! You're gonna hurt yourself! Don't touch that." Lightning warns Hope.

Hope begins to climb up on the Dreadnought. "Wait! What if it works?"

"Leave it!" Lightning orders. Hope sits on top of the machine, as soon as he does, the Dreadnought activates and starts walking forward. Hope staggers as the machines movement makes him lose his balance. "I told you to leave it." Lightning says under her breath.

Lightning grabs hold of her weapons hilt, ready to fight. Hope grabs hold of the machine. "Stop! Stop already!" Just like that, the machine stops, obeying Hope's command. "I think I got it. Light! I think I can work this."

Lightning feels unconvinced as she turns and walks to a tower bridge. She looks at it, wondering how to get it to fall forward. She loses that thought as soon as she hears the Dreadnought right behind her. She turns and moves out of the way as soon as she sees the machine is about to strike.

The Dreadnought hits the bridge and it falls forward, creating a new path. The Pulse machine crosses the bridge, Lightning just watches Hope. She seems a bit impressed, even though she's hiding it. Lightning follows Hope and the Dreadnought from behind.

The Dreadnought breaks through the fence in front of it. Hope looks down ahead seeing a large army of Pulsework Soldiers. The Dreadnought strikes its way through the robots, then knocks down the next fence and crossing the bridge.

Lightning just follows the machine from behind, looking at the destroyed Pulsework Soldiers as she walks past them. When past the bridge, the Dreadnought strikes at the next wave of the Pulsework Soldiers, then crashes through the fence.

As Lightning follows the Pulse machine, she notices one of the Pulsework Soldiers still lives, but staggers and sparks. Lightning aims her Gunblade at it and shoots, ending it.

"You missed one." She says under her breath. Hope and the Dreadnought makes their way to the next wave of Pulsework Soldiers and strikes them down. They make their way towards the next bridge until they arrived at a cliff.

Hope looks forward down at the cliff, then the Dreadnought takes a step forward, falling down. Hope screams as he falls out of the Pulse machine and crash lands on the ground. Hope sits off and shakes the nerve off.

"Nice landing." Hope looks up at the cliff to see Lightning. Lightning leaps down from rock to rock until she lands beside him. "That was impressive, I'll admit." Lightning offers Hope a hand.

"Really?" Hope grabs Lightnings hand and she pulls him up. "Thanks."

"Let's get moving." Lightning orders.

"Just need a minute. Still a bit winded." Hope tells Lightning.

"You're too soft." Lightning moves on.

"W-wait up." Hope catches up to Lightning.

Lightning and Hope does a lot of walking. They encounter a few PSICOM soldiers. Lightning strikes them down while Hope stands back and use his offensive magic at them, or healing Lightning with his Cure ability.

Every battle they fought, Hope gets more and more exhausted, but he tries hard to hide it, knowing that Lightning doesn't want to be slowed down by a kid that's about to break down in exhaustion. That, and he wants to become stronger.

It was when, Lightning and Hope arrives at the bridge by a waterfall. Lightning is ahead, halfway past the bridge, while Hope is behind. As soon as he was on the bridge, he trips and collapses.

Lightning stops on her tracks. "This isn't working." Lightning turns to look back at Hope. Hope looks up at Lightning, worried. "I mean you're a liability. You'll just slow me down."

Hope stands back up on his feet. "What?"

Lightning turns and continues on. "I'm sorry, but I can't protect you when..." Lightning stops as soon as she feels pain in her chest and her l'Cie brand does a pink glow right through her sweater vest. Lightning gets a grip on her brand.

"You can't leave me here! You've got to take me with you!" Hope yells at Lightning.

"Enough!" Lightning yells back, which makes Hope switch from stubborn to worry. "The whole world is against us." Lightning falls onto one knee as the pain strikes her. "I can barely keep myself alive...let alone some helpless kid!" Hope starts to back up a little. "I don't have time to baby you. You want to get tough?" Hope just shakes his head, afraid what she's about to say, then Lightning looks back at him. "DO IT ON YOUR OWN!"

Just then, a massive summoning circle appears right under Lightning's feet. She looks down and runs ahead, afraid of what's about to happen. Just then, a force is unleashed and a large knight appears in the middle of the circle with rose petals dancing in the air. Odin.

Hope looks startled as the eidolon looks at him. "This cannot be happening." Lightning says. Odin readies himself to strike and charges closer to Hope. Hope falls back in fear. "Look out!"

Lightning charges in. Odin gets ready to strike. Hope cowers, bracing for the attack, but nothing happens. Hope looks to see Lightning is in between him and Odin, blocking the attack with her weapon. Lightning backs up as Odin shifts his position. Hope stands back up and helps Lightning with the fight.

Odin casts Doom on Lightning, she only has 180 seconds to live. Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Protect on himself and Lightning. Odin focuses on Hope and casts Thundara on him. Lightning casts Ruin on Odin. Odin does Skyward Swing on Hope, a sweep strike causing Hope to be knocked into the air.

Lightning shifts into Medic and casts Cure on Hope. _Why is he attacking the kid? _Lightning wonders. Hope lands on the ground then shifts into Ravager, casting Fire and Blizzard at Odin. Lightning shifts into Commando and cast Ruin at Odin. Odin does Seismic Strike, leaps towards Hope and slashes him. Hope shifts into Medic and heals himself.

Lightning strikes at Odin as he does Flourish of Steel, striking at the poor Hope, then finish with a Crushing Blow, splitting his weapon into two and makes a charge strike. Lightning shifts into Medic and heals Hope with Cure. Lightning now only has 90 seconds to live. Hope shifts into Synergist and blesses himself with Faith and Lightning with Bravery.

Odin defends himself with Ullr's Shield. Lightning and Hope both shift into Ravager and cast their magic spells on Odin. Odin finishes his defense and strikes Lightning with Thundara. Lightning shifts into Command and strikes at Odin. Odin strikes at Hope with Seismic Strike then knocks him in the air with Skyward Swing. Lightning shifts into Medic then casts Cure on Hope.

Odin does Flourish of Steel on Lightning. Hope casts Aero at Odin. Lightning shifts into Ravager and does some Sparkstrikes at Odin. Odin casts Thundara at Hope then charges at him with Crushing Blow. Hope shifts into Medic and heals himself. Odin defends himself with Ullr's Shield. Hope shifts back into Ravager and casts his blizzard and Fire spells at Odin. Lightning now only has 45 seconds to live.

Odin finish his defense and knocks Lightning in the air with Skywing Swing, then casts Thundara on her. Hope shifts into Medic and heals Lightning. Lightning lands on the ground, shifts into Commando and casts Ruin at Odin. Odin focuses on Hope and does Flourish of Steel on him. Hope casts Fire on the eidolon, burning it up. Odin does another Flourish of Steel on Hope, then finishes with a Crushing Blow.

Lightning shifts into Medic and heals the helpless boy. By the time Lightning had 25 seconds to live, the doom spell cancels. Odin plants his weapon on the ground and shifts into Gestalt Mode. Odin jumps into the air and morphs and transforms into a horse. Odin neighs into the sky, then he runs around in the air, slowly making his way to the ground and in front of Lightning.

Odin slowly fades away into crystal shards and they seep into Lightning's brand as she absorbs him. Lightning quickly becomes exhausted and falls into her knees. Hope rushes in front of her. "Lightning!" Hope notices the glowing brand seeping through her vest, then looks at his brand, then back at Lightning. "Your brand looks different." Lightning looks up at Hope. "Was that an eidolon? Like l'Cie can summon?"

Lightning just scoffs that thought as her brand stops glowing and the pain passes. "Magic and mumbo-jumbo. I must've hit my head on that purge train."

Lightning gets back on her feet. "Um..." Hope looks down in shame. "Am I...really in your way?"

Lightning looks at Hope then sighs. _What was I thinking?_ Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun and puts it back in it's holster. Lightning and Hope just stands there for a moment, saying nothing, then Lightning walks past him. Hope started to worry as soon as she leaves, he turns to face her.

"I'll do better! I'll try harder! I'll-"

"Hope!" Hope doesn't say anything else as she interrupts him. Lightning looks back at the young boy. "We'll toughen you up." Hope is a little surprised to hear that, then watches Lightning moving ahead, then suddenly stopping. "I'm sorry...about before."

Lightning continues to move on, then Hope runs after her, catching up. "Thanks for giving me a second chance, Lightning. I promise, you'll won't regret it."

Lightning just sighs silently hearing that. _I hope not. _As soon as they past the bridge, they become ambushed by PSICOM troops. "l'Cie!"

Lightning and Hope take out their weapons, well weapon and a boomerang. "Got my back?" Lightning asks.

"Yea." Hope answers.

Lightning charges into the army while Hope stands his place casting magic at them. PSICOM Rangers starts shooting at Lightning. Lightning avoids their shoots and cuts them down as soon as she reaches them. Hope casts Fire and Blizzard, burning and freezing the troops.

When Hope was done with his fight, he becomes really exhausted. Lightning finishes the Rangers on her side, then looks back to see the exhausted boy. She seems a bit worried for him, but to grows even worse when she sees three Uhlan, flying battle machines, surrounding him. Hope gets on his feet, barely keeping his balance.

Lightning knows she has to do something. "Hope!" Hope looks back at Lightning. He notices she's holding a glowing rose crystal in her hand. "Take cover."

Hope nods and runs out of the fight. Lightning tosses the crystal rose in the air, jumps and strikes it. The moment she stroke it, a large summoning circle appear on the ground, then Odin appears. Lightning lands in front of him, and they take out their weapons, getting ready to attack.

Lightning strikes at the Uhlan, and so does Odin with Flourish of Steel. Lightning shifts into Ravager and casts Thunder on the machines. The Uhlan's shoots at Odin, but Odin defends himself with Ullr's Shield. Lightning strikes at one of the Uhlan with some Sparkstrikes. When she was done with it, it was destroyed.

Lightning commands Odin to shift into Gestalt Mode. Odin plants his blades into the ground, jumps and transforms into a horse. Odin rides in the skies until he's on the ground in front of Lightning. Lightning grabs his blades and then mounts on Odin.

"Let's do this."

Lightning does Razor Gale, connecting the blades by their hilts and spins them around the Uhlan's, also creating a Vacuum Wave heading to the machines. Lightning next does Lightning Strike, commanding Odin to run in front of the Uhlan's. Her blades charge with electric energy as she crosses them, then strikes the enemies in front of her, leaving a wave of lightning striking down at them.

Lightning does Stormblade at one of the Uhlan's, striking them into the air, then commands Odin to jump in the air in front of it. Lightning performs Thunderfall, spinning the blades around her as Lightning strikes at the Uhlan, destroying it.

All that remains in the one Uhlan. "The storm is here!" Lightning says as she spreads her blades out, with rose petals dancing in the air. Odin leaps forward and Lightning jumps, as she performs Zantetsuken.

Lightning spins around and around with her blades wide open, slashing the Uhlan repeatly. Lightning stops spinning and lands on the ground, as the Uhlan becomes stroked by some after cuts. (A/N: I personally have no idea what it's really called, but I think it's after cuts by the looks. What happens is slashes of light strikes at the enemy after all that attacking. You might have to see Lightning do Zantetsuken in the game to see what I mean.)

The Zantetsuken finishes the last Uhlan. After that, Lightning connects the blades together then hands it to Odin. Odin grabs the blades and vanishes.

Lightning looks around, to see it's all clear. She then notices Hope, who's leaning forward, panting in exhaustion. Lightning walks up to the young boy. "We'll stop here."

"Sorry." Hope says.

Lightning gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it." Hope breaks down, collapsing on his knees, then shifts into leaning against a rock. Lightning just watches Hope, then looks around. "I'll look around, you rest up."

Lightning moves ahead, scouting around the area. After a few minutes of scouting, Lightning returns to Hope. She looks down at the boy to find him still tired. He's awake, but he's fighting to keep his eyes open.

Lightning sighs. "You should rest."

"I don't need to rest." Hope protests.

"Hope." Hope looks up at Lightning. "You're not going to be any helpful in battle if you are exhausted to death. You need to sleep."

Hope nods. "Okay." Hope shifts himself into a comfortable position, and quickly falls asleep.

Lightning moves to the other side and sits down, with her Gunblade at hand ready to shoot. For the next few minutes, Lightning keeps watch, keeping an eye out for enemies and watching the young Hope asleep. As she watches Hope sleep, Lightning starts to think.

"How did he get dragged into this?" Lightning whispers. From what Lightning can see from Hope's sleeping face, she sees a helpless, innocent child who's been dragged into a war he's not meant to be in. Lightning thinks back about what she did to him before the Odin fight, she wants to leave him behind to fend for himself, and feels regret for attempting to do so. That thought left when she noticed Hope is hugging himself, shivering. Lightning can tell he's cold. Normally, Lightning would want him to get use to the cold, but then she was reminded by me. 'Go easy on him.'

Lightning sighs. "He's just a kid." Lightning gets on her feet and moves slowly to Hope. "Better not regret this." Lightning sits right next to him, she lifts him onto her lap. Hope lays his head on her shoulder as she wraps an arm around him, and her other one holding onto her weapon. Hope's shivering slowly dies down, as soon as he does, he whimpers a little. Hearing that startles Lightning. She looks at the boy, seeing a sad expression on his face. He's probably have a bad dream.

Hope feels around him, his hands touching Lightning's body. At first, Lightning feels a little uncomfortable, then left the thought as he wraps his arms around her. Tightening her into a hug.

"Mom?" Hope mutters in his sleep.

Lightning widens her eyes hearing that. _He thinks I'm his mother? _Lightning thought. Lightning softens a little and decides to go with it. She moves her hand to his hair. "Not by a long shot."

Lightning looks down at the sleeping boy and smiles a little.

Meanwhile, Sazh and Vanille are make their way through the Vile Peaks. They arrive at some large PSICOM work area, Scrap Processing.

As they arrive, Vanille looks all around. "No sign of soldiers."

"Guess Lightning got their attention." Sazh says.

"I wonder how Hope's doing."

Sazh looks at Vanille, then back at the direction he assumes Lightning and Hope took. "They were headed towards Palumpolum. Kid's on his way home. You can bet on it."

Vanille crosses her arms, looking up. "Good for him." After a moment of silence, Vanille looks at Sazh, then notices his mind is somewhere else. Vanille moves in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Sazh crosses his arms. "It's good, if they manage to slip in quietly. All of Cocoon is in the grip of Pulse-phobia. If a l'Cie pops up on the radar, all hell will break loose."

"They don't even know why they're scared." Vanille says.

"Afraid of what they don't know. Afraid to find out more...gets worse the older you get. I'm terrified of what will happen. The world probably would be better off without Pulse l'Cie." Sazh looks at Vanille, noticing she seems a bit dull. Normally, it's okay, but with Vanille, boy it's unlike her. "I mean, most of them."

Vanille looks at Sazh and smiles. "Gee, thanks. Let's go!" Vanille makes Sazh turn and then pushes him as she moves.

Sazh and Vanille makes their way through the area, They approach at some giant robot ball that resembles a bomb. "Oh mama. That doesn't look too good."

Vanille moves in front of Sazh, taking out her binding rod. She blast at the Bomb with her Blizzard spells, and the thing falls fast. "Don't worry, Sazh, you'll be okay with me!"

Vanille puts her binding rod away and moves on. Sazh just sighs as he follows Vanille. "Yep, I feel much better depending my life on a kid."

Vanille just laughs as she skips ahead. Sazh and Vanille moves on until they reach a dead end. Of course, it wasn't so much of a dead end. There's a bridge but it isn't open. Sazh notices.

Sazh walks up to that magnet machine and takes a look at it. Sazh turns it on and it launches a magnet gripper onto the bridge and pulls it back, opening the bridge.

"Nothing to it." Sazh says.

Vanille cheers, jumping and raising her arms in the air. "Hurray Sazh!" Sazh and Vanille continues on, of course, as soon as they crossed the bridge, a PSICOM trooper and some Bombs appeared.

Sazh shoots at the trooper while Vanille defeats the bombs with her Blizzard spells. After defeating the enemies, they continue on. Sazh and Vanille made it past the ramps, where they became greeted by two Spooks.

Sazh shoots them down and Vanille burns them with her fire. After defeating the two creatures, they move on. Sazh and Vanille runs down the tight canyon path, when they reach the end, they noticed a large generator in the middle of a PSICOM base.

"Wow, look at that! I wonder what it's for." Vanille says.

"Can't say for sure." Sazh says.

"You're good with machines, aren't you, Sazh? Want to take a look?" Vanille asks.

Sazh just raises his shoulders. "Can't hurt I guess." Vanille cheers in excitement then drags Sazh around. Of course Sazh drags Vanille back, stopping her on her feet. "Careful, it's crawling with Sanctum creatures."

Vanille looks all around ahead of her, noticing the area is covered with Pulsework Soldiers and Bombs. "You're right." Vanille takes out her binding Rod. "Let's go!"

Vanille charges ahead all excited. "Hey! Slow down!"

Vanille and Sazh makes their way to one of the control panels, where they had to fight against two Bombs. Sazh does his work on the control panel while Vanille protects him, cooling off those Bombs with her Blizzard spells.

As soon as the Bombs were defeated, Sazh finishes his work and then they move on to the next objective. Vanille notices one of the lights glowing on the generator. "You did it! It worked!" Vanille says.

"Yeah, but we still have three more to activate." Sazh tells her.

Sazh and Vanille makes their way through the bridge, arriving at the next control panel, where they're greeted by a Bomb and a Pulsework Soldier. Vanille does her work on the enemies while Sazh takes care of the control panels. Vanille cools down the bomb, but now works on the Pulsework Soldier. The soldier strikes at her. Vanille shifts into Saboteur and weakens the machines defenses.

When Sazh was done, he joins in on the fight, shooting at the machine. The Pulsework Soldier dies wither soon, then Sazh and Vanille continues on.

"Whew. Soloing is tough." Vanille says.

"Don't get use to it." Sazh tells her.

Sazh and Vanille moves on to the next control panel, guarded by the two Pulsework Soldiers. Sazh decides to help Vanille with the fight, knowing they'd be too tough for her to handle alone, let alone protect him.

Vanille weakens their defenses while Sazh shifts into Synergist and strengths himself and Vanille. The two Pulsework Soldiers strikes at Vanille, hurting her roughly. Vanille shifts into Medic then casts Cure on herself, then shifts into Ravager and casts Blizzard and Aero at the machines. Sazh shifts into Commando and starts shooting at the Pulsework Soldiers.

The two machines got destroyed in a matter of seconds. Sazh does his work on the control panel while Vanille stand guards. She looks around her surroundings, waving her binding rod around while growling like silly.

"Take it easy there, kid. Don't hurt yourself." Sazh says.

Sazh finishes his work then they move on to the last control panel. Strangely, this one is unguarded. Sazh seems confused at that, but he just does his work. When he's done, the last light on the generator glows, and then it activates.

"It's alive!" Sazh shouts.

"Way to go!" Vanille cheers.

The generator does it's work, in about a minute, a gate on the other side of the area opens, with two Bombs and two Pulsework Soldiers coming out of it. Sazh notices them.

"Not the only thing we woke up, huh?" Sazh says.

"We can take them!" Vanille says with a giggle.

Vanille just charges ahead while Sazh follows her slowly from behind. "Take it easy, kid."

Sazh and Vanille engages combat with the creatures. Vanille handles the bombs with her Blizzard spells while Sazh shifts into Synergist and strengthens himself and Vanille. After the bombs defeat, the soldiers strikes at them, one on Sazh and one on Vanille. Vanille casts her fire spells at them. Sazh shifts into Commando and casts his Ruin spell at them.

One of the soldiers becomes defeated, while the one other still stands. It shocks Vanille and Sazh with it's electricity. Vanille shifts into Medic and heals herself and Sazh. Sazh starts shooting at the Pulsework Soldier until it's die.

"Whew. The thing put up a great fight." Sazh says.

They move on into the cave, kept walking until they reach the end, where they made it out to a cliff by a waterfall. Sazh starts panting and bends down with his hands on his knees.

"You must be tired, huh? Want to take a break?" Vanille asks.

"Yeah...At least Lightning's not here to prevent it." Sazh jokes. Vanille just laughs at his joke. Sazh looks around. "We've gotta sleep somewhere, this okay?"

Vanille looks around as well. "Uh...yeah. Fine by me!"

Vanille digs through the rubble, humming in a silly tune. She finds a rugged cover and lays it flat on the ground. "All set." Vanille waves at Sazh. "Okay. Good night."

Vanille stands on the cover and slowly lays down on it.

Sazh just watches Vanille. "Not a care in the world."

Sazh makes his way towards Vanille, he stops when she suddenly sits up. Vanille grabs a nearby stick and starts drawing something in between her and Sazh. Sazh just follows his eyes on the stick.

"What?"

Vanille stops, all Sazh is seeing is a line. "Do not cross this line, understood?"

Sazh just feels pathetic for Vanille. "Oh grow up."

Vanille just goggles. "And good night again!"

Vanille slowly lays back down, going to sleep. "Would you just go to sleep already?" Sazh says. After Vanille goes to sleep, Sazh lays down where he stands, on the hard, cold dirt. (Poor Sazh)

Hours have pasted, and Sazh can feel himself slowly waking up. Sazh gets a strange feeling from behind. He looks back to see Vanille is crawling up behind him, whimpering and shaking a little.

"Still a kid." He reminds himself, going back to sleep.

In morning, on the Cavalry ship, Fang and Snow are on board. Snow is held prisoner while Fang is guarding him. "Couldn't run if you wanted to." Fang says. Fang turns to face him. "Your friend back there got guts to make an escape like that."

Snow doesn't say anything at the thought. Snow looks to see that they're arrive at a large ship station. The Lindblum. "Hoo-hoo-hoo! Look at you! I wonder what's under the hood of that thing?"

"Keep your pants on." Fang tells him. "You'll get a peek soon enough. Just try and behave. Unlike that little friend of yours."

Their airship makes its way into the docks of the station. "I'm not gonna make any promises." Snow says.

Fang just humphs. "Cheeky boy, aren't ya? We'll see how long that lasts."

The ship lands and Fang and the guards escorts Snow around the ship. They arrive at the bridge, where a Cavalry guard walks by Fang. "He's come to meet you." He tells her.

Fang and Snow just makes their way across the bridge. On the other side of the bridge, the leader, Cid Raines, walks down the bridge, as his troops stands by saluting as he passes them.

The guards by Snow holds him in place. "Halt!"

Snow just stops to see Raines approaching him. "You must be Snow." Raines offered to shake Snows hand. "Cid Raines. Brigadier general of the fleet."

"Hi, Cid. Thanks for the escort." Snow says sarcastically.

"Apologizes. I just have a few questions to ask you." Just then, the robots starts carrying Serah right beside them. snow and Raines looks down at Serah as she passes them. "If it works like they tell us, that means she must have fulfilled her Focus."

"Serah!" Snow runs for her, but Fang quickly stops him with her arm over his throat. Fang just shook her head at him.

"Fulfilled her Focus as a tainted Pulse l'Cie, that is." Raines finished.

Fang pushes Snow back where the guards catches him. "You think she was out to hurt Cocoon?" Snow asked in anger.

"I'd hardly be alone if I did." Raines says. "When it comes to Pulse, who could claim to know anything? I need the truth, for the sake of Cocoon."

"'The sake of Cocoon.' We're from Cocoon!" Snow tells him. "Shipping us out, Purging innocent people. that's how you lend us a hand?"

"Those are the Sanctum's methods." Raines explains. "The public fears what it doesn't know. It's grown tired of living in constant terror of these threats from the world below. So, the Sanctum devised a plan for you l'Cie."

"I'll bet."

"A public execution." Snow was about to charge in, but the guards quickly stopped him. "The people don't know any better. Strike down the phantoms before their eyes, and they sleep like babes."

Snow breaks free from the guards hold. "No!" Snow charges in at Raines, but Fang kicks him hard in the stomach, knocking him back and down on the ground. The guards aim their guns at Snow, predicting another attack.

"The Sanctum has intelligence on the other l'Cie already. It's only a matter of time." Raines says.

"You'll never catch them!" Snow says.

"I see. We'll need you help then, won't we?" Raines says.

Raines just walks away while Fang walks beside Snow. Snow just turns away from Fang.

"Serah."

[Flashback: Day 7 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

At Lightning and Serah's home, Snow and Serah are just standing in the living room, talking.

"You're kidding right?" Snow asks.

"I mean it." Serah says frustrated.

Serah just walks away, making her way out of the house, where as Snow follows her from behind. "You can't drop the breakup bomb like that. Being alone's all right, I guess. Yep. Always was until we met." Serah doesn't say anything, just kept on walking. "But then we did." Snow just stops on the top of the steps, as Serah still walked away. "And now I know there's something better: Being with you." Serah just stops on her tracks hearing that, she now looks down in a hint of sorrow. "We've come too far to quit now."

Serah turns to look up at Snow. "It's not your choice!"

Snow walks down the steps. "You really want to leave me?"

"I don't want to, I have to...listen, it's over. Please..." Serah turns around. "Just stay away from me."

Serah continues walking, but then Snow chases after her. "What happened? At least tell me that." Serah starts to slow down until she stopped. "If it was something I did, just say it."

Serah turns around, her mouth was open, but no words came out. She doesn't know what to say next. She now wonders if she should told him what happened. She soon realizes he'll find out sooner or later.

"Okay..." Serah walks to the railing of the bridge. She turns from Snow, so he's only seeing her right side. Serah slowly removes the bandage wrapped around her upper arm. "Look." Serah turns around slowly, until he sees what was on her arm: The l'Cie brand. "Branded by Pulse." Snow is speechless. "I'm a l'Cie."

Snow stumbles backwards. "No..."

"Enemy of Cocoon." Serah can feel herself breaking down in sorrow. "Danger to us all."

Snow collapses on his hands and knees, completely caught by surprised and shocked. that's when I arrived, I was only a few feet away, I just stop watching at what's going on.

"Get it now?" Serah asks. "You're my enemy..." Serah turns from Snow. "Good-bye." That's when she started walking away, then started running and crying. Serah runs back me, I turn and reached for her.

"Serah!" I shout. She doesn't stop, but then I decided to chase after her.

As Serah runs away and I chase after the poor girl, Snow just stays behind, still shocked at the sudden news of Serah being a l'Cie. After a moment, he just slams his fist on the ground in frustration then looks ahead.

"Serah!" Snow quickly gets on his feet and starts running for her. Snow runs around the city until he arrives at the shores of the NORA cafe. He just stops, looking at the citizens at the beach. "Serah, where are you?"

Snow walks around the NORA cafe. He asks around his team members for Serah.

"Serah? Nah, she hasn't been by here." Maqui answers.

Snow goes inside the cafe, he sees Yuj and Gadot. Gadot just wonders why Serah isn't with Snow, while Yuj just brags about his outfit. (How stupid). Snow walks into the cafe. Lebreau is just wiping down the counter when she notices her boss walking by.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" She asks. "You and Serah have a fight?"

"Something like that." Snow says. "She ran off and I couldn't find her anywhere."

"Well, don't give up big guy, you'll find her." Lebreau tells him.

Snow nods then leaves the cafe. As soon as he does, he sees me and Serah out on the dock. Snow gasps a little and starts running towards the dock. When he gets there, he sees that I'm hugging the poor girl.

"Serah!" I was startled by the sound of that voice. Snow. Me and Serah disbands and I turn to see Snow coming up at us upset. "Listen buddy, you stay away from her!"

Snow is standing right in front of me, and I look up to him with a slightly angry expression. I move Serah aside, in case this gets ugly. "Listen, Villiers, I am not your buddy, and I was only trying to-"

"I know what you were trying to do! You were gonna kill her just because she's a Pulse l'Cie!" Snow shoves me and I fall into the water. Serah gasps at the sight of it.

"Snow!" Serah looks down at the docks, she doesn't see me, then she stands up facing Snow. "What are you doing?"

"He was trying to hurt you." Snow says.

"No he wasn't. He was trying to comfort me!" Serah says.

On that, now Snow feels like a fool. He nervously rubs the back of his neck. "Oh...really?" Just then, they hear me return to the surface, gasping for air. Snow and Serah looks down as I look up at them. "Sorry about that, man."

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it, Villiers!" I shout at them. Snow and Serah watches me swim towards the shore.

As I swim, Snow returns his attention to Serah and grabs her arm. "What is your Focus? l'Cie have a Focus, right? I'll go with you. Help you do it. Just let me."

Serah just shook her head. "No! If you're with me, the Sanctum will..."

Serah was about to pull away, but Snow holds on to her, interrupting her as well. "I will be with you! No matter what!" Serah calms down a little and looks at Snow. "We've come too far to quit now."

Serah just looks down, then slowly turns away facing the sea. "I don't know...I don't know my Focus. I'm gonna be a monster."

Snow wraps his arms around Serah, hugging her. "Not if I'm here. I'll protect you." Serah moves out of Snows arms then turns to look up at him. "We'll figure this out...do it together." Snow smiles at Serah. "Okay?"

Serah runs into Snows arms, hugging him. Snow hugs her as well. "I'll feel safe with you two."

Snow looks down at Serah with confusion. "Two?"

"Patrick is gonna help as well." Serah says.

"Well...good, the more the merrier." Snow says.

"If it's true what they say." Serah steps back, making Snow change from hugging her to putting his hands on her shoulders as she looks up at him. "When we're finished, I'll turn to crystal."

"Don't worry. When l'Cie complete their Focus, they're blessed with the gift of eternity." Snow says. "They wouldn't call it eternity if you died. You'll see." Snow pulls Serah back into a hug. "You and me, we'll always be together."

[Flashback ends]


	6. Gapra Whitewood

A/N:I bet some of you enjoyed that little Shadow Puppet scene from the previous chapter. That's actually something I made up and I think that should have happened in the game. Why not, it's so damn funny isn't it? Ha ha ha. Anyways, I hope you guys don't go all thinking I'm having feelings for Serah, you know, going all Patrah (PatrickxSerah) on me. You're gonna wanna rethink that, I'm just very loyal to Serah, especially since the girl is my only friend in the story, before I turned into a l'Cie that is. Now, let's see how Lightning and Hope are doing in the Gapra Whitewood.

Chapter 5: Gapra Whitewood

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

I ride the Velocycle through the skies of Cocoon. The sun is barely starting to raise, slight daylight on the very edge of the darkness in the sky. I'm still on my search for Lightning and the others. I just hope they're doing okay, especially young Hope. Thinking about him just worries me. I've already made a promise to his mother before she died that I would take him home. It's bad enough I broke my promise to Hope that I would keep her safe, if I broke this one...I might as well kill myself.

I inhale a little deeply then sigh. I look down at my sleeve arm, right where my l'Cie brand rest underneath the fabric. I move my hand towards it, resting right on the brand.

"How did this happen?" I ask.

[Flashback: Day 7 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

I make my way to Serah's house. On the way, I'm on hold on my cell phone. It's been days since I last seen or heard from her. I tried calling her, but she never answers. I know Serah's still alive, cause last night when I called her house phone, her sister answered. She doesn't really sound too happy with a complete stranger calling her house. I take it Serah never told Lightning about me.

When I asked for Serah, Lightning just told me Serah's not in a mood for a talk, and just hung up on me. I figured I'd give another shot before I reach her house. But she doesn't answer, I get her message again.

"Hi there. Serah here. If you're hearing this, I'm currently unavailable at the moment. So please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Okay, bye."

I listen to the message beep, and as soon as it's done, I flip my cell phone close and put it back in my pack. "Serah, where are you?"

Minutes later, I finally arrive at Serah's house. I see her and Snow on the bridge. Snow is on his hand and knees, looking upset. As I was about to approach, Serah starts walking away, then started running away, crying. Serah probably didn't notice me, cause she just ran right past me.

"He-hey. Serah!" I yell for her. She must have not heard me either, cause she doesn't stop or yell back. It's like I'm a ghost to her. I decided to chase after her.

During the chase, I lost her. I arrive at the beach in front of the NORA cafe. I searched all over the beach for her, still no sign of Serah. Just when I give up, I found her at the end of the dock, sitting. I walk up to her.

"Serah." Serah turns around, startled. She doesn't look happy to see me. "Serah...what's wrong?"

Serah just turns from me. "Leave me alone." Serah says in a sorrow tone.

I was a little surprised to hear that. Serah's usually not one to be left alone. Something's up. "Serah..."

I move closer, but I stopped hearing her shout. "Please! ...Just stay away from me!"

"Serah, just tell me. What's wrong?" I ask. Serah doesn't answer. After silence, I've had it. I march towards Serah and grab her arm. I pull her up onto her feet, only then, I noticed a l'Cie brand on her arm. The sight of that answers my question.

I gasp and stumble backwards seeing that brand. "You...You're...a l'Cie?"

This is news to me. Very shocking. Very unexpected. Serah looks up at me and nods. "Brand by Pulse...I'm your enemy. You're my enemy." Serah says.

Hearing this just burns my ears. Sure, Serah's a l'Cie, but that doesn't mean she's my enemy. Why would a brand mean we're both each others enemies? Just then, I notice Serah's making a stand. Standing straight with her arms wide open, closing her eyes.

"Serah...what are you-"

"Shoot me!" Serah says. I gasp hearing that. She wants me to shoot her. "Take out your bow and arrow and shoot me!"

Never, in a million years, I would ever think that Serah would want me to shoot her. I slowly take out my bow, but I don't load it or even take out an arrow, I just look down at my bow, then back at Serah, then back at the bow again.

"No." I say in a quiet tone. I drop the bow right out of my hand. "No, I won't!"

"Do it! I'm your enemy!" Serah says.

"You're not my enemy! You're my friend!" I shout at Serah.

"I'm not your friend! I'm a l'Cie! Enemy of Cocoon!" Serah says. "If I'm a l'Cie, then you must do what needs to be done!" Tears comes out of Serah's eyes when she shouted that. "Shoot me!"

Hearing that puts me speechless. I look down, clenching my fists. After a moment of silence, I walk up to Serah, then slap her hard in the face. That somehow puts her out of her stance. She looks at me with sadden eyes and a hand on the cheek I slapped.

"Listen to me. We are not enemies. We are best friends, and I will not shoot you, not even if you're a Cie'th." I say. "Yes, you are a l'Cie, so what? How does that make you any different? You're Serah! The sweetest, kind hearted, most gentle girl I've ever meant. You were like that before you were a l'Cie. And you're still the same old Serah now. Tell me, Serah, look deep within yourself...are you really any that different?"

Serah just looks down at her hands, taking in my words. After half a minute of silence, I take her hands. "Judgment is a curse, Serah. It does nothing but cloud your vision, drown you into despair and doubt. Take my word for it. I will not let this l'Cie curse do the same to you."

Serah looks up at me, still with the same expression on her face and her eyes. "You...you really mean it?"

"Yes." I answer. "I don't care if you're a l'Cie. You are my friend and I'll never turn against you."

"But...what if I don't complete my Focus?" Serah asks. "If I turn into a Cie'th-"

"DON'T SAY IT!" I shout. Serah became startled from my tone, I pull Serah into a hug and then I repeat in a quiet tone. "Don't!" Serah rests her head on my chest and wrapped her arms around me. "You'll never become a Cie'th, I won't let it happen."

"But...how?" Serah says, her voice breaking in sorrow. "I don't know my Focus."

"I don't care. I'll help you find your Focus, and complete it." I close my eyes and a tear escape from my eye. "I don't let this cruel fate happen to you, Serah. That's a promise."

"Serah!" I was startled by the sound of that voice. Snow. Me and Serah disbands and I turn to see Snow coming up at us upset. "Listen buddy. You stay away from her!"

Snow is standing right in front of me, and I look up to him with a slightly angry expression. I move Serah aside, in case this gets ugly. "Listen, Villiers, I am not your buddy, and I was only trying to-"

"I know what you were trying to do! You were gonna kill her just because she's a Pulse l'Cie!" Snow shoves me and I fall into the water. Serah gasps at the sight of it.

I drown in the water. I'm not exactly a strong swimmer, but you would think it would have been best I would since most jobs a Mercenary would do would involve being in waters, not in submarines that is.

After a minute, I pop my head out of the water, inhaling deeply the need for oxygen. I turn around to see Snow and Serah at the docks. "Sorry about that, man." Snow says.

"Sorry isn't gonna cut it, Villiers!" I shout at him. I swim my way to the shore, of course before I did, I realized I'm not wearing my hat, so I turn back and grab it, then I make my way to shore. I curse at Snow under my breath. While Serah and Snow are talking, I shake the waters off of me, then give my hat a rough single shake.

I turn to see Serah and Snow are hugging. I scoff at the sight of Snow then make my way to the NORA cafe, where I was greeted by Lebreau from behind the counter. "Hey there." Her welcome smile turned into a surprised look. "Whoa. You're all wet. What happened?"

"Don't ask." I say. I sit right in front of Lebreau. "Seriously...don't ask."

"Hmm, was it Snow?" Lebreau asks. I don't say anything, I just look down softly growling at the thought of Snow. "All right..." Lebreau walks into the back room, then comes back to throw a towel at me. "Dry off."

I leave the NORA cafe as I dry myself off with the towel. When I was in front of the dock, I look to see Serah and Snow are still hugging.

I stomp my way towards them, and then I push Snow into the water. Lucky thing their grip of each other isn't tight, otherwise Serah would have drown with him. Serah is surprised to see me push Snow into the water. Snow swims to the surface, inhales deeply and looks up at me.

"Now we're even, Villiers!" I snapped at him, then turned and walked away, giving a single, hard shake on my vest.

[Flashback ends]

Thinking back about the promise I made to Serah, I wonder if Serah would make the same with me and Lightning, since we're both now l'Cie. And I guess I'll have to include Snow since she loves the doofus. I'm glad she didn't end up a Cie'th. I love Serah, she's my best and only friend and it would break my heart if she turns into a Cie'th. It hurts bad enough I've seen my own father suffer that fate once. I still hate myself for the mistake I did to him once he turned into a Cie'th.

My thoughts become interrupted by the sound of the engines staggering. I look back, seeing some smoke coming out. I don't see any PSICOM warships or any damages to the ship. I look at the Velocycle's systems, then I noticed that one of them delivered me some bad news: I'm out of gas.

"Oh shit." Just then, I lost control and the Velocycle starts falling down. "Mayday! MAYDAY!" I yell, as I fall closer and closer to the ground. The Velocycle falls straight for some forest, and that's where I crash land.

* * *

Lightning arrives at the Gapra Whitewood, on her guard with her Gunblade in position to fire. She stops as she hides behind a large leaf branch of a crystal machine tree. Lightning looks around on the Proto-ecology Belt, no sign of PSICOM troops or monsters.

Lightning looks back and signals for Hope to come. Hope comes out of hiding and runs up to her. "Can't believe we met it." Hope says.

The area rumbles, Lightning and Hope looks back to see the gates are closing. "That'll slow down pursuit." Lightning says.

Hope looks back at Lightning. "But, aren't there troops on this side? We can't relax just yet."

Lightning knows what Hope says is true. "Right. We press on. I'll take point, you watch our backs." Lightning moves on ahead, but stops when Hope calls out.

"Actually...why don't you let me take point?"

Lightning looks back at Hope. "Can you handle it?"

Hope moves pass Lightning and stands in front of her, looking up to her with pride. "It's not a question of can or can't."

Lightning's proud at Hope. "Now you're learning." Lightning smiles at Hope, then she tilts her head, telling him to go ahead and take point. Hope nods and smiles, then moves ahead, but stops when Lightning calls out. "Keep your eyes front, I'll watch the rear."

"Got it." Hope says, moving on. Lightning just smiles at the boy, then she follows him, keeping out eyes open for any ambushes.

Lightning looks at Hope noticing how far he's going. "Don't stray too far." She warns him. Hope and Lightning follows a light beam ahead, of course when they got close to it, the light fades.

They look at the next path ahead noticing another beam of light. They follow it and it repeats the same actions. When they got close, it fades.

"We can use the lights as a guide, to keep us moving in the right direction." Lightning says.

"I was thinking the same thing." Hope says.

Just then, the two travelers became greeted by some slug creatures, Nudibranchs. Lightning aims her weapon at them and starts shooting. Hope just stands back casting his magic at them.

The Nudibranchs fall wither quickly, even Hope's curious. "They didn't put up much of a fight."

"They're just small fry. They'll be tougher creatures around here. Keep an open mind." Lightning says.

"Got it." Lightning and Hope continues on. Most of the monsters they encountered aren't very tough, Hope could probably handle them on his own, him and that boomerang of his.

In no time, they arrive at some elevator. Before getting on, Hope stops and looks back at Lightning. "Have you ever been here before? On duty, I mean." Hope asks.

Lightning shook her head, then moves past Hope. "No, I haven't. This area's covered by the Woodlands Observation Battalion." Lightning stops then looks back at Hope. "You scared?"

Hope gives a small hesitation to answer. He doesn't really feel scared, at least he has Lightning watching his back. "Not really. I'm ready to fight if I have to."

Lightning reaches into her porch. She takes out her survival knife and holds it out to Hope. "To keep you safe." Hope looks down at the knife. All he sees is the hilt. He grabs the knife, still looking down at it. He figured the knife is contained inside the hilt, you just gotta pull it out. "I'll want it back."

Lightning turns and moves to the elevator, but then stops when Hope calls for her. "Lightning." Lightning stops to look back at Hope. Hope moves forward close to her, holding the knife in his hands. "I'm glad I followed you. By myself, I would've had no chance.

Lightning feels a bit edged from Hope saying that, just she just reminded herself: He's still just a kid, and humphed at what he said then moves onto the elevator. Hope gets on as well and turns it on. The elevator moves to the upper floor of the Proto-eology Belt.

Hope and Lightning moves on, taking the only path the belt has for them. The enemies they encounter are the Razorclaws. Different kind of creatures that are just as weak as the others. Lightning and Hope makes their way through the belt.

Lightning pays attention to Hope as they move on, he's doing a fine job at taking point. She made the right choice leading him take point, even after his answer was her expression: It's not a question of can or can't.

Her thoughts become interrupted when Hope looks up at the sky, startled. "What is it?"

"We need to hide!" Hope grabs Lightning and drags her behind a large crystal machine leaf for them to hide behind. They lay low as they noticed three PSICOM on Velocycle's are patrolling around. They fly towards them, but they don't stop, they just fly past them, still moving on.

"They don't seem like they're even looking for us." Hope and Lightning moves out of their hiding place. "I mean, we're l'Cie and we're on the loose."

Lightning looks at the direction PSICOM flew off to then at Hope. "PSICOM's keeping it all under wraps. They don't want their failure publicized. Better to lose us then lose their pride."

If I were here, I'd say "what losers" "So the other soldiers don't know about us, right?" Hope asks.

"Right." Lightning turns and moves on. "They don't know anything about any fugitives." Lightning notices it's a dead end then spot another elevator. "Over here."

Lightning gets on, then Hope gets on as well. Hope turns on the elevator, and it does down. the elevator stops on the lower Proto-eology belt. Lightning and Hope moves on the belt. They encounter a few enemies on the way. They tougher then the enemies on the other two belts, but still not much of a challenge, for Lightning anyways. Of course it becomes even more challenging for Hope cause the spawning of the enemies are greater. It's like every two minutes, they run into some Razorclaws or PSICOM machinery in battle.

After all that traveling, Lightning and Hope arrive at some giant fal'Cie that's begin guarded by two Razorclaws and a Behemoth. "That's one of the Bulkhead fal'Cie." Lightning warns. "Stay on guard."

Hope nods, then he and Lightning takes on the Razorclaws and Behemoth. Hope casts his Blizzard and Thunder spells on the Razorclaws while Lightning holds off the Behemoth. The Behemoth strikes at Lightning. Lightning parries the attack, but it was too powerful to handle, she only suffered bit of damage.

Hope defeats a Razorclaw while the other one strikes at him. Hope cases Fire on that Razorclaw, burning it alive. Hope focuses his attention on the Behemoth. The Behemoth heaves at Lightning, knocking her into the air. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cure on her, then shifts back into Ravager and attacks the Behemoth.

The Behemoth slowly dies from the fight. Lightning and Hope approaches at the Bulkhead fal'Cie. While Lightning moves in front of the sealed gate, Hope stays behind, panting and sitting in exhaustion.

"I wonder how the others are doing." Hope asks.

"Sazh and Vanille? Who knows." Lightning says. "Even if they got away, they'll get caught eventually. Then they'll have to choose: Resist or surrender."

"Surrender." Hope can feel his anger raising as he thinks about Snow from that one word. "Do you think he's still alive?"

Lightning wonders who he meant, she turns to look at him. "You mean Snow or Patrick?" Hope doesn't answer. "I'm not sure about Patrick. As for Snow..." Lightning just sighs at the thought of Snow. "He's too stubborn to die." Lightning turns from Hope, facing the sealed gate. "And that's his best quality: He's arrogant and chummy from the get-go. Thinks he's everybody's pal. Never liked him much." Lightning crosses her arms in front of her chest. "He leads around a bunch of kids. Gang called 'NORA'."

Hope just feels a bit surprised to hear that name. "Where'd they get the name 'Nora'?"

"It's a stupid acronym." Lightning says. "They're little code. Stands for: No Obligations, Rules or Authority. Must be nice..."

Just then, the gate opens. Hope gets on his feet. "It's irresponsible." lightning looks back at Hope hearing that, watching him he has walks past her and through the gate. Lightning just watches him moving on.

_Something's on his mind._ Lightning says as she now follows him.

Lightning and Hope gets on the elevator in front of them. The elevator turns on, and moves downwards, onto the ground level. Lightning and Hope hops off the elevator. Hope look around ahead.

"This is an army facility for turning wildlife into weapons. There are a lot of feral creatures here, too. They're a little different from the military breeds." Lightning tells him.

Hope stops as he looks ahead at the open area, where he sees a group of Beasts fighting each other, training. "Civilians aren't allowed in here, are they?"

"We'll have to be sure and tell them if we see any." Lightning says.

Lightning and Hope charges in, taking down the Beasts. The Beasts ignored them at first but then attacks them when they killed one of them. Hope burns them with his Fire spells while Lightning slashes them with his weapon.

After defeating the beasts, Lightning and Hope notices the electric fence deactivating. "These fences are for containing the animals. If we take care of out pen-mates, they'll power down." Lightning says.

Lightning and Hope moves around the areas. Any monsters they encounter, they face and defeat them. For some of the fights they have, triggers the electric fence to deactivate.

Lightning and Hope runs into this one area. As soon as they past the electric fence, it reactivates. Sure did startled Hope. Lightning looks ahead and seeing the other fence is activating as well.

"Caged in like the animals." Lightning whispers.

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Hope asks.

Lightning was about to answer, but then suddenly, a wild Behemoth leaps out of no where and lands right in front of them, growling. Lightning takes out of Gunblade, ready to strike. "I'm guessing take that thing out."

Lightning casts her ruin spells at the Behemoth. Hope casts his blizzard spells at it. The Behemoth swipes, striking Lightning and Hope. Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Protect and himself and Lightning. Lightning shifts her weapon into a gun an starts shooting at the Behemoth. The Behemoth roars at Lightning and charges directly at her.

Lightning sees the Behemoth coming at her. Lightning charges towards it. About five feet away, Lightning leaps forward, jumping over the Behemoth. While midair, Lightning shoots at the monster from above. The Behemoths legs starts wobble, Hope casts Thunder at the Behemoth, electrocuting it. The Behemoth roars in pain, then is falls down dead.

Lightning lands on the ground, she turns to see the creature dead, then she notices the electric fences deactivating. "We've tripped the security alarm. The Observation Battalion will be coming."

Hope makes his way to the next fence. "Let them come." Lightning watches Hope moving on. She's still wondering what's going on in that boys head, but she let's it go and then follows him.

The next area Lighting and Hope enters seems like a dead end, to Hope at least, to Lightning, she sees a machine leaf hanging just barely touching the ground. Lightning starts climbing on it. Hope notices Lightning climbing up. He walks up to the machine leaf and just looks at it, then up to see Lightning's on top. Lightning looks down at Hope.

"You can handle a climb like this." She tells him.

Hope nods, he hesitates before he starts to climb. After seeing Hope's doing fine, Lightning continues as she jumps onto the next leaf and then onto the branch. Lightning walks on the branch and looks up to see a damaged belt. Lightning jumps up until she grabs hold of the belt. Lightning pulls herself up. When she's on the belt, she sees an electric fence with about a dozen Nudibranchs.

Lightning takes out her Gunblade, then charge into battle. Hope finally makes it onto the branch. Hope takes a moment to catch his breath, exhaustion is starting to hit him. He looks up to see a broken belt. He also sees some blade slashes and creatures screeching. He can tell Lightning's up there. Hope jumps up, reaching for the belt, only he can't reach it.

Hope tries again, still nothing. Again and again and again. No dice. Actually, the second to last one, he manage to touch the belt with the tip of his finger, but can't get a grip. Hope tries one more time, still couldn't reach. This time, he falls on his butt.

Lightning does Blitz, striking down a group of the Nudibranchs. Most of them get killed, two remain. One of them strikes at Lightning. Lightning strikes back at it then at the next one, killing both of them.

Lightning shifts her Gunblade and places it back in her holster. "That went well." Lightning shifts into Medic and heals her minor wounds with Cure. Lightning moves ahead, but suddenly stop hearing a call.

"Lightning!" Lightning looks back, she sees that Hope isn't with her. Lightning moves back and look down. She sees that Hope is sitting there. She can tell that he's been trying to jump, but couldn't reach it. For Lightning, she barely reached. She realizes that Hope is shorter then her.

Lightning gets down on her knees and reaches for Hope. "Jump."

Hope gets on his feet and tries again. He jumps and grabs Lightning. Lightning grabs hold of Hope as he struggles to pull himself up. Lightning gives him a hand by pulling him up.

Hope makes it onto the Proto-eology belt. He sits down for a moment as Lightning stands up. "Thanks...sorry." Hope says.

"Don't sweat it." Lightning tells him.

Hope gets on his feet. "Let's go." Hope moves on ahead, and Lightning follows him. As they move, Lightning quickly notices Hope is moving wither slower then usual, and his legs are starting to wobble.

Hope suddenly stops, he bends with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Lightning realizes he's exhausted. "Take five."

Hope slowly sits down, taking a break from all that walking and fighting. Lightning just watches Hope, then she moves ahead to keep an eye out for any enemies.

Lightning keeps watch while Hope rests, looking down at the survival knife Lightning gave him. He pulls it out of the hilt. While Hope's playing with the knife, Lightning keeps watch. Actually, she's barely keeping watch. She just stares into space, wondering about Hope.

After a moment, she finally asks him. "What's eating you?" Hope doesn't answer. "Okay, I can tell you're hung up on something." Hope still doesn't answer, Lightning turns her head, looking at her shoulder. "Is it the l'Cie thing?" Lightning thinks about that moment when they were at that Bulkhead fal'Cie. She turns around and looks down at Hope. "It's Snow and Patrick, isn't it?"

Hope barely looks up, seeming startled. "Yeah..."

Hope slightly looks away, and Lightning sighs. "What happened with them?"

"You wouldn't understand." Hope tells her.

Lightning can understand why he would think that, even thought she doesn't know the situation. Lightning walks up to Hope and kneels in front of him. "You and I are partners, Hope."

Hope looks up at Lightning, he can see she has a serious face on. He takes in on what Lightning says, they are partners. Hope sighs and looks down. "My mother was killed...because of Snow."

Telling her that brings back memories for Hope. The moment Nora stand and left him, the promise I made him, Snow's face, smiling and winking, Nora falling to her death. Brings him nothing but pain and misery. Hearing these news surprises Lightning, her eyes widen, she didn't think that Hope had lost his mother. She should have realized it from the way he was behaving in his sleep. When he grabbed her and called her 'mom'.

Lightnings thoughts became interrupted by Hope. "It's his fault." Hope holds the survival knife in front of him, looking at it. He gets a grip at it like he's about to stab someone or something with it. "And he needs to pay for it. I'm not ready yet, but I will be, soon."

Lightning doesn't say anything, just looks at the poor boy. Hope pushes the blade back into the hilt, then he stands up. "That's why I followed you." Lightning stands up, watching Hope walk past her. Hope moves ahead then stops. "Snow dragged us all into this. You and me, your sister Serah...He's gotta pay."

Hope moves ahead, Lightning turns around and looks at Hope. She starts to realize something. The conversion she and I had before she forced me to stay with Snow.

_The boy Patrick mentioned...could he be...Hope?_

"Hope?" Hope stops, then turns around looking at Lightning. Lightning walks up to Hope. "I'm sorry about your mother. But...about Patrick, you're not gonna make him pay for it, are you?"

"I don't know." Hope says. "He did promise that he would keep my mom safe, but he couldn't. But he is blaming Snow for everything. He also mentioned that he promised my mom that he...would take care of me...Why do you ask?"

"You were just talking about making Snow pay for it. That I can understand why, since he's treating this whole thing like it never happened." Hope is a little surprised to hear that, Lightning can tell from the expression on his face. "Patrick told me everything that happened...He even told me that he's being trying to fulfill the promise he made to your mother." Lightning crosses her arms in front of her chest then sighs. "I'm starting to regret leaving him behind." Hope just looks down in sorrow. After a moment, Lightning moves on. "Let's go. I'll take the lead."

Hope nods then follows Lightning. "Okay."

Lightning and Hope moves at the other end of the broken belt. Lightning jumps on the leaf then onto the branch. Hope follows her from behind. It's easy for him since they are jumping downwards instead of climbing.

Lightning and Hope makes it back to ground level and moves on. they don't really encounter into much, just a Behemoth and a few Beasts. The Beasts went down quickly, but the Behemoth is a hard fight. Honestly, when are they ever an easy fight? They're monstrous and feral.

Lightning and Hope reaches another dead end. They jump up on the leaf and branches until they rerun on the Proto-eology Belt. As they continue on, they walk into a large crystal machine leaf blocking their way. Lightning stands in front of the leaf, looking at it. She takes out his Gunblade, and gives it a single strike. The leaf instantly dissolves into crystal bits.

Hope looks at her weapon, seems amazed at it. "Could I use one of those?"

Lightning looks back at Hope as she shifts the weapon and places it back in its holster. "Bit too heavy for you."

Hope looks down and sighs. "Okay..."

Hope takes out the Survival Knife Lightning gave him. He pulls the knife out of the hilt. Lightning looks down at the blade, looking at it makes her think about Serah.

[Flashback - Day 12: The Seaside City of Bodhum]

It's Lightning's birthday. It was just me, Lightning, Serah and Snow. Lightning wasn't too happy with me and Snow. For Snow, she doesn't really like him. For me, it's cause I'm a Mercenary and, even know I've known Serah for a long time, a stranger. After dinner and cake, Serah tells Lightning everything, about being a l'Cie and marrying Snow. I feel disgusted hearing that second part, I wouldn't blame Lightning if she felt the same.

"You became a l'Cie, so now you're gonna marry this idiot? And you think I'm gonna buy that?" Oh, Lightning doesn't look or sound happy. "Full points for originality." Lightning gets up from her chair. "But don't forget, if you really are a l'Cie...it's my job to deal with you."

I widen my eyes open hearing that, then I turn to Serah hearing her sorrow tone. "Sis..." She looks pretty sad, but alas, she has Snow with her. No point trying to comfort her myself.

"This is ridiculous." Lightning turns and crosses her arms. "Worst birthday ever."

I guess I can't argue with that logic. Just then, Serah starts crying then runs away. "Wait! Serah!" Snow says.

"Serah!" I shout for her.

Snow and I don't bother chasing after her. After that, I see Snow is now facing Lightning. "Why won't you believe her?"

I turn to face Lightning as well. "How can you treat her like this?"

Lightning turns to face us. "You kidding me? She gets made a l'Cie and you two pop the question?"

Snow slams his hands on the table. "Lightning stop it!"

Lightning slams her hands on the table as well. "No you stop it! Both of you, get out of my house! Now!"

"You're shutting her out! She's your sister!" Snow snaps at her.

Hearing that surprises me. But I kept my attention on Lightning, who doesn't say anything. She just sighs and turns away, arms crossed. I sigh as well.

"Fine...I'll do it!" Snow starts leaving, I watch him leave as well. "I'll protect her." I watch Snow leave until he's out of sight. Lightning sighs, with an expression that's a cross between sorrow and anger, then she turns to face me.

"Why are you still here?" Lightnings tone seems a bit anger.

"Uh..." I try to find an excuse, then I look at the table. "Clean up the mess?"

While Serah and Snow are gone, me and Lightning did some clean up at the table. Of course, I didn't want Lightning to do any of the work. After I put away the leftovers, I carry some of the dirty plates to the sink, where find Lightning is about to do the dishes.

I set the dirty dishes aside, then I grip Lightnings wrist as she takes out a dirty plate from the sink, then she gives me her usual look. "Let me, please." Lightning doesn't say anything, just gives me her cold look. "It's your birthday."

Lightning doesn't do anything for a moment, then stands aside. I slowly move in front of the sink and wash the dishes. Lightning just stands there, watching me, as if she can't really trust me to do the work. As I work, I talk to Lightning, with my attention still on the dishes.

"I hate to admit it, but...Snow is right." Saying that just leaves a sour taste in my mouth, I even gagged. "Lightning, Serah is a l'Cie, you're a Guardian Corp. She wasn't sure how to tell you, knowing that you would be upset and that it would be your job to deal with l'Cie. she wasn't even sure if she could trust you. But yet, she told you what happened. You ever thought why?" Lightning just turns, leans against the counter with her arms crossed sighing in silent. "It's because she's your sister. With both of your parents gone, you...you're all she has left. You're her whole family. But you just shut her out. She's your sister, Lightning. You care for her, don't you?"

I hear nothing, after a moment of silence, I pause doing the dishes and turn to face Lightning. "Lightning?"

Lightning slowly makes her way to the table. Lightning approaches at the present right on the table, she just looks down at it with her arms crossed. I walk up to the table as Lightning opens the present. I stand next to her to see it's some kind of hilt. Lightning picks it up and pulls out the knife. Lightning and I look at the knife, surprised.

"A Survival Knife?" I ask.

"How Practical." Lightning says.

Lightning just looks at the knife, I slowly reach for it and take it. Lightning just lets me take it, like she didn't care at all, but then looks at me. I look down at the knife. "Serah seems to have good taste in gifts." I pull the knife back into the hilt and hand it back to Lightning. "Beats mine."

I reach into my pack and take out a small ring box. Lightning seems both curious and a bit surprised, probably in the bad way. Lightning takes the box and opens it to find a silver ring with a yellow gem on it that's a shape of lightning bolt. Lightning raises an eyebrow, looking at the ring then back at me.

"You proposing? Cause the answer is no." Lightning says.

I just shook my head. "Trust me, Farron, I'm not asking to marry you. For one, I just met you, and two, I ain't exactly a marrying type. I'm not even exactly 'Boyfriend material'."

Lightning just rolls her eyes and sighs as she closes the ring box. "I'm not surprised, since mercenaries only love making money."

"Okay, you watch it, Farron!" I say, staring at Lightning. "I'm not like other mercenaries!"

Lightning just scoffs at my words, I was about to say something, until a beeping sound happens and the TV turns on showing some important news.

"We interrupt this program to bring you an urgent Sanctum bulletin."

Me and Lightning turn our attention to the screen.

"Late last night, officials confirmed the presence of a Pulse fal'Cie the city of Bodhum." The screen snows a video image of the Bodhum Vestige. As we continue to watch the news, I'm on alert while Lightning is looking surprised and shocked, realizing what Serah said is true. "Acting with fal'Cie Eden's approval, authorities declared a state of emergency. The entire district will be quarantined in response to this crisis. This is a Sanctum bulletin."

The screen turns off. "They know." I say. "I don't know about you, but I'm gonna help her." I make my leave, leaving the birthday girl alone.

[Flashback ends]

"Serah." Lightning says, with regret. "I should have listened to you."

"Lightning?" Hope becomes startled hearing Hope, who's in front of her, looking up at her with concern. "You okay?"

"Ye...yeah. I'm fine." Lightning says. "Let's keep moving."

Lightning and Hope moves on. Lightning and Hope encounters more enemies. Lightning cuts them down while Hope stays behind and casts his offensive magic at them.

Lightning and Hope makes it to the end of the proto-eology belt and they jump onto the leaf and branch, making their way to ground level.

Lightning and Hope runs into a couple of creatures. Three beasts and a Behemoth. Lightning notices they're fighting each other. She decides to sneak past them, knowing that Hope might be a little worn off to fight against feral creatures.

Lightning and Hope carefully sneaks past the creatures. After a minute of sneaking, they make it to the end and then climbs the leafs and branch back onto the Proto-eology Belt. Hope was feeling a little behind on the climbing, nothing really serious.

Lightning and Hope runs down the belt until they arrive at the elevator. Lightning activates the elevator and it goes up. While they're waiting, Lightning looks at Hope. She can see that he's casting a cure spell on himself. Even though he looks all right, she can't help but feel he needs to rest.

"You feeling all right?" Lightning asks.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Hope says.

"Okay...if you need a break, don't be afraid to ask." Lightning says.

Hope looks at Lightning curiously. "Are you feeling all right? Last night, you were in a hurry to move on, and now you want to take it easy."

The elevator stops. Hope gets off. Lightning feels different hearing Hope's words like that. He's right, she was in a hurry to get to Eden, and now she's feeling concern for Hope. Lightning just shakes it out of her head and moves on.

Lightning and Hope arrives at a group of slain PSICOM troopers. Lightning knows she and Hope didn't caused this, and that me and the other l'Cie aren't around as well.

"What happened here?" Hope asks.

"Bad luck." Lightning answers. "They came looking for us and found something worse."

"We can't leave them like this!" Hope was about to help the slain soldiers, but Lightning grabs him.

"Don't touch anything!" Lightning shoves Hope away, causing him to fall on his butt in front of Lightning. Lightning looks down at Hope with a serious look. "Control your emotions. If you want to survive, you forget about sympathy." Hope just looks down, hardly taking in Lightnings words.

Lightning can tell he's not getting it, then turns from him. "How can I explain?" Lightning thinks for a moment, then gets an idea. She turns back to Hope and kneels in front of him. "Think of it like a strategy. Focus on your ultimate goal and shut out everything else. Still your mind, move on instinct." Lightning stands up, then she turns moving a few steps ahead. "Let doubt take over, and despair will cripple you."

Hope sighs then he gets on his feet, Lightning turns to watch the boy again. "Strategy. Good. I'll take anything to help me get through this." Lightning gives a single nod, then Hope moves ahead then stops. "I'll call it 'Operation Nora'."

Lightning seems confused. "NORA?"

"My mothers name." Hope clears up.

Lightning starts to feel regret. She can tell what this is about. "Your revenge?" She asks with disapproval in her tone.

"Yes." Hope answers. "Don't tell me. I know getting revenge on him won't...bring her back." Hope turns around and faces Lightning. "I know that!" Hope looks down, feeling sorrow taking over, but he tries hard to fight back the tears as he looks up at Lightning. "But 'sorry' won't cut it."

Now Lightning feels guilty. Because of her, Hope's gonna kill Snow. _What have I done? _Hope moves on ahead, Lightning steps up looking at the poor boy. "Snow didn't kill your mother." Hope stops on his tracks hearing that. "The Sanctum did."

Hope turns back, facing Lightning in betrayal. "Who's side on you on!?"

"The side of truth." Lightning tells him.

Hope isn't sure how to feel. Instant, he takes out the survival knife, then pulls it out of the hilt. He holds the knife in front of him. "Fine. I'll fight the Sanctum with you. I'll learn to survive."

Hope moves on, Lightning was about to speak up, but doesn't say anything. She knows that nothing she can say will change his mind. Nothing. Lightning moves on ahead with Hope.

Lightning and Hope runs into some PSICOM troops as they move on ahead of the Proto-eology belt. Lightning cuts them down while Hope stays behind and casts his magic at them.

Lightning and Hope soon arrives at a wide open area on the belt, that's being guarded by a live Velocycle and two PSICOM troops. Lightning takes care of the Velocycle while Hope burns the troops with his fire spells.

The troops falls quickly, after defeating them, Hope casts his Thunder spells at the Velocycle. The Velocycle reacts badly from the lightning and quickly dies. Lightning walks up to some control panel at the end of the area. She activates it, and the floor they stand on starts moving up, like an elevator. That sure did surprised Hope.

"We're moving! What's going on?" Hope asks.

"Not sure. But stay on guard." Lightning tells him.

The elevator goes up until it stops on the top. Lightning and Hope only sees a gate. They were about to approach it, until some giant robot creature with a plant on it's back. (Most people refer to it as "Bulbasaur" of Pokémon. That I get since they are almost look a like.) Aster Protoflorian.

Lightning takes out her Gunblade and gets in front of Hope, blocking him from the creature. Hope slowly reaches for his boomerang. "This is it. Operation Nora!"

Lightning charges at the creature, striking at it. Hope shifts into Synergist, casting Protect on himself and Lightning. then he casts Bravery on Lightning and Faith on himself. Aster Protoflorian does Efflorescence. The "plant" on its back opens and spins razor blades all around the creature. Lightning shifts into Medic and casts Cure on Hope.

Hope shifts into Ravager, as soon as he does, the Aster Protoflorian shifts itself with Exoproofing: Ice. The creatures becomes coated in crystallized ice. Hope casts Fire at the creature, burning it.

Lightning shifts into Ravager and does some Flamestrikes at it. The Aster Protoflorian focuses on Lightning, it strikes at her. Lightning parries it's last two attacks, then resumes striking with Flamestrikes. The Aster Protoflorian's plant back shoots out a seed bomb, coated in ice, and it lands on Hope with a small explosion.

Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cure on himself. The Aster Protoflorian shifts itself with Exoproofing: Water. The crystal coat of ice fades then the creature becomes coated in crystal water. Lightning does her Sparkstrikes on the monster, which breaks its defenses easily.

Hope shifts into Ravager and cast his Thunder spells on the monster. The Aster Protoflorian does it's Efflorescence ability. Lightning got hurt real good on that one. Hope shifts into Medic and casts his Cure spells on her. After healing, Hope shifts back into Ravager and casts Thunder on the monster.

The Aster Protoflorian strikes at Hope, then leaps back. It does Exoproofing: Lightning. The crystal water coat fades from it then the creature becomes coated in crystal electric. Hope casts Water spells instead at the creature. Lightning shifts into Commando and does some Ruin spells on it.

The Aster Protoflorian launches a seed bomb, coated in electric, directly at Lightning. Lightning shifts into Medic and casts Cure on herself. She shifts back into Commando and does some striking at the monster.

The Aster Protoflorian does Exoproofing: Fire. The crystal electric coat fade from it then the creature becomes coated in crystal fire. The creature heaves Lightning into the air, jumps and slams her to the ground. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cure on her, then shifts into Ravager and casts Blizzard spells on it.

Lightning shifts into Ravager and does her Froststrikes on it. The Aster Protoflorian becomes weaken from the attacks. Lightning and Hope stands down, watching the creature, but still on guard. The monster collapses and shuts down.

Lightning and Hope puts their weapons away. "Operation Nora, stage one complete." Hope says.

Lightning walks up to the gates and opens it. Lightning and Hope enters the Maintenance Exit. Lightning looks back at Hope as they move on. "You did well." She tells him.

"Really? Thanks." Hope says.

Lightning and Hope makes their way through the belt. Lucky for them, there are no enemies. In no time, they reach the end of the belt and makes it on solid ground in a middle of a trench.

Lightning and Hope reaches to the end of the cliff, where they see Palumpolum over across the sea.

"There it is." Hope says, as he and Lightning sees Hope's city from the distance. "Palumpolum."

"That's where you live, right?" Lightning asks. Hope doesn't answer, just walks up to the edge, not even taking his eyes off of his home. "We'll stop in when we get there."

Hope shakes his head. "No." Then looks down in shame. "We're l'Cie now, and no one's there but my dad."

Lightning looks at Hope. "Hope...You need to let him know what happened." Hope doesn't say anything, Lightning sighs then she puts a hand on his shoulder. "He at least needs to know about your mother."

Hope looks up at Lightning then nods. "I guess you're right."

Lightning smiles at Hope.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning and Hope are about to make their way to the city, but then something catches Lightning's attention. "Wait!" Hope looks over the sea to see a ton of Sanctum ships arriving.

"PSICOM." Hope says.

"I'm afraid so." Lightning says. "We can't go in plain sight."

Hope looks up at Lightning. "What you suggest we do?"

"We need to find another route, one where we can sneak in." Lightning explains.

Hope thinks for a moment, then he gets an idea. Hope runs off in a different direction. Lightning turns to see Hope moving on. "What are you doing?"

"Just follow me." Hope says.

Lightning sighs and decides to follow the boy. Hope makes his way down the cliff, jumping from rock to rock until he reaches the ground. Hope takes Lightning on the path until they are in front of a dark forest.

"Well, here we are." Hope says, a little nervous.

Lightning walks up beside Hope, looking up at the woods. "What is this place?"

"A forest, that's right outside the city. We call them Twilight Forest." Hope says.

Lightning looks down at Hope. "And it'll take us into the city?"

Hope doesn't answer, he was about to, but he couldn't find the answer. "Um...I'm not really sure exactly. I never went in, these woods are too dangerous."

"Why's that?" Lightning asks.

"We don't know for sure. Cause anyone who ever goes in just disappears. It's like it's one way in and no way out." Lightning looks back at the forest. "No knows how or why it's dangerous, some say it's because there's either dangerous monsters, or it's very easy to get lost."

Lightning just crosses her arms in front of her chest. "So. We take these woods and hope we'll find out way to Palumpolum, or we go to the city and plain sight and get killed." After a moment of silence, Lightning walks up. "The forest it is." Lightning takes a few steps, but stops when she looks back to see Hope frozen in place. "What's wrong?"

Hope looks up at Lightning. "Nothing. It's just...I've...I've been too scared to enter these woods. I'm not sure if I'm ready."

"Hope. Remember what I said. It's not a question of can or can't."

"There are somethings in life you just do." Hope finishes. Lightning nods. "Okay...I guess I don't have much of a choice."

Hope moves ahead into the woods, and Lightning follows him from behind.


	7. Sunleth Waterscape

A/N: You see the kind of person I am with people I can't stand. Of course I'm not mainly hard cold like I am to Snow Villiers, but you know he just ticks me off over the past five chapters. But you guys know the kind of person I really am to other people like Serah, Hope, a little bit from Vanille, unless I'm going soft on the girl like Lightning does for Hope in which case that's a lot. Now we're in the Sunleth Waterscape, where we see how Sazh and Vanille are doing.

Chapter 6: Sunleth Waterscape

Meanwhile, at the Lindblum, Snow is looking down at the crystal tear from Serah in his hand. Fang walks up to him. "Okay! Time to hunt some l'Cie!"

"So what, we find them and that's that?" Snow asks.

"Don't get all hot and bothered." Fang says. "I know I'm gonna be hunting that friend of yours, for hijacking my ride."

Fang turns away from Snow, Snow does the same, then looks down at the crystal tear. "Serah...Am I doing the right thing?"

[Flashback: Day 12 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

The Bodhum Vestige screeches loudly as Snow and Serah makes a run for it with PSICOM troops chasing after them. "There they are! This way! Stop them!"

Snow and Serah doesn't stop running. As they run, Snow spots the Velocycles and hijacks one, with Serah on his lap. I make my leave from the Farron house, there, I can see PSICOM troops running. I make a run for them.

Snow activates the Velocycle. the Velocycle catches some air. I see what Snow's doing, and run faster. "Villiers! STOP!" Snow drives the Velocycle around the ground floor then it takes off to the sea. "Shit!"

The PSICOM troops makes their way to the edge, aiming and shooting at the Velocycle. "Bring it down!"

I take out my throwing stars, four in one hand. "I don't think so!" I throw them at the troops, one hitting each of them in the back, knocking them out.

The commander looks back to see me. "Arrest him!"

Two troopers comes for me while the rest of them shoots down the Velocycle. Snow drives the Velocycle around over the sea, avoid the shoots. Snow turns the Velocycle back at Bodhum, on a different shore, but he sees more PSICOM troops.

"Hold on!" Snow tells Serah.

"Okay." Serah says.

I fight my way through the two troopers. Punching one of them in the jaw and in the face on the other. As soon as I got the minute, I look to see Snow is driving back to shore. "What the hell is he doing!"

I run quickly to the shore he's heading for. Halfway there, I see that Snow is already above the city grounds, then above me. I stop and follow my attention to him. I can see he's aiming for...The Bodhum Vestige. "No...He can't be!"

I see two other PSICOM Velocycle's coming at them. I look ahead to see one of them is getting ready to take off. I rush towards that Velocycle, pushed him off as I jump on.

"Move over! I'm taking this vessel!" The Velocycle takes air and I chase after the two riders and Snow. Snow flies higher and closer to the Vestige, with the two PSICOM troopers chasing after them.

When I got close, I start shooting at the PSICOM soldiers. One of the Velocycles explodes and falls out of the sky into the waters. I fly closer to Snow as he's right at the Vestige, flying up on it.

"VILLIERS! STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" I shout.

Snow and Serah looks back, but when they did, their Velocycle slams on the Vestige, nearly damaging the Velocycle. Snow returns his attention in front of him. I can see one of the engines on the Velocycle is damaged. "Nice going, blockhead!" I say under my breath.

I start shooting for the second PSICOM Velocycle. Snow flies high up to the head of the Vestige, then he starts going down. I take notice and start to worry. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Snow makes his way to the balcony of the Vestige. "Jump!"

Serah jumps onto the balcony of the Vestige, she turns back and reaches for Snow. "Snow!"

Just then, the waters from behind Serah starts to come to life. "Serah!" The waters surrounds Serah, about to get a hold of her. I see the whole thing as I make my way to Snow. "No!" I drive faster, as I drive, I take the rope out of my pouch. I tie one end to the Velocycle and make the other end a lasso.

Snow reaches for Serah. "Serah!"

The waters grabs Serah and starts dragging her in. Just then, I arrive, spinning the lasso above me. "Serah!" I launch the lasso, it rings around Serah and wraps around her waist. When it's like that, I pull the Velocycle away from the Vestige to the side. I reach maximum range from Serah, when I did, I couldn't move any further, and I started getting pulled in a little.

I shift the Velocycle to a faster engine, and use all my strength to pull away from the Vestige. Serah and Snow reaches for each other, they get closer and closer. The Vestige was pulling Serah in pretty strong, but I try harder to pull her away. "Come on...come on!" I say.

Serah and Snow are so close, the tips of their fingers were touching, but then Serah gets sucked right into the waters, into the Vestige, me and Snow are worried seeing that. Snow tries to make reach for Serah and I try pulling harder, but then the entrance to the Vestige becomes sealed.

At that same time the entrance seals, my Velocycle bolts away with full force. The alarm happens as I start spinning out of control and then crash land on the shores of Bodhum.

Snow however is still by that entrance, but gets blow away as an electric field happens around that sealed entrance. Snow screams as his Velocycle falls, he regains altitude for only a second, he makes his Velocycle fly straight but it still falls and then he crash lands on the same shore I did.

I get out of my Velocycle, coughing the smoke out of my lungs. After a minute, I stop coughing, then I look at the rope. I reach for the end when I see it's been cut. "Shit!"

Snow's Velocycle catches on fire, luckily Snow was out of his Velocycle, he's laying two feet away from it. I march my way to Snow. Snow starts to get up on his feet, he looks at the Vestige. He staggers towards it, until he couldn't walk anymore then collapses on his knees.

"Serah..."

That's when I was in front of him to give him a sucker punch in the face, which knocks him back into the sand. "What the hell goes on in that pea brain of yours, Villiers!" I shout at him.

"Look man, I was only trying to protect her." Snow says.

"Yeah? Well great job!" I shout at him. "You did a great job at protecting her from PSICOM...by making her prisoner into the fal'Cie!"

Snow sits up. "Look, I know you're upset-"

"Oh? I'm upset?! What about Lightning? What is she gonna say when she finds out her sister is captured by the fal'Cie?"

"Serah is what!?" I look ahead and Snow looks behind him, there we find the angry Lightning.

I pointed at Snow. "It's his fault!"

Lightning walks up to Snow as Snow stands up. "Listen, I thought if I take her to the fal'Cie, it would help Serah complete her focus."

Lightning punches Snow hard in the face, knocking him onto his butt. "What the hell were you thinking!?" Lightning barks at him.

"That's what I told him." I say.

Lightning glares her attention at me. "Stay out this, Mercenary!"

"Listen, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you."

"No! Nothing you can do will fix this!" Lightning says. I agree with Lightning.

We stand in silent for a moment, then Lightning turns away. I turn my attention to her. "He-hey. Where are you going?"

"To get Serah back." Lightning says.

I just watch Lightning leave, that's when I decide that I should go and help her. that's when Snow stands back on his feet. "We should go and help Lightning."

"No!" I turn to face Snow. "I'm going to help Lightning. You're staying here!"

"You can't tell me to stay here! I want to help!" Snow says.

"You want to help?" I stand right in front of Snow's face. "Stay out of our way! You've caused enough damage, Villiers."

I march away from Snow, following Lightning, while Snow stays behind in regret.

[Flashback ends]

Fang walks up to Snow, then slaps him in the back of his head, snapping him out of his trance. Snow barely reacted to that bump, but Fang did by shaking her hand. Snow turns to face Fang.

"I knew you were hard-headed, but damn that's one hard skull." Fang says. "Anyways, snap to it! We're rolling out."

"Yeah, yeah. Hunting l'Cie, right?" Snow asks. Snow gets on the Velocycle. He sits in it, looking down at the crystal tear, then he closes his hand holding it. "I will keep my promise, Lightning."

Meanwhile, Sazh and Vanille arrives at the beautiful sunny fields of the Sunleth Waterscape. Vanille just skips ahead, laughing and giggling while Sazh follows her from behind. Sazh and Vanille comes out of the shadows and into the sunlight. Vanille looks at the view of the area their in as she skips and laughs.

A minute later, Vanille stops, she stretches her arms up and inhales deeply, then realizes a peaceful sigh. "Fresh air. Nice."

"So, where we heading?" Sazh asks.

"Don't know." Vanille answers.

"You don't know?" Sazh asks, with a slight surprised tone. "I thought you had somewhere in mind, the way you took off."

Vanille giggles. "I followed the smell."

Sazh is both confused and disturbed to hear that. "What?"

Vanille moves towards the bed of flowers. Vanille bents down above the flowers and inhales deeply at their scent. "It smells nice. All naturey."

Sazh takes a whiff around, he feels unconvinced about Vanille's words. "Just smells damp. And I think something bit me."

Vanille giggles, but that ends as soon as she hears something. "Hide!"

Vanille and Sazh hides in a burrow under a tree. That's when a fleet of PSICOM airships flies by. Sazh looks up, he can see the airships, only very little due to the visibly he could get.

"Skyfleet." Sazh says. All of the airships flies past them. "Closest city that way is Palumpolum. That is not good. I wonder if those two were caught in the net."

Sazh and Vanille comes out of their hiding place, where they look at the direction the airships were heading. "What do we do?" Vanille asks.

"What do we do? Right now, what can we do?" Vanille looks at Sazh, she can tell on the look of his face he doesn't know.

Vanille moves in front of Sazh. "Right, no choice." Sazh looks at Vanille. "We run...the other way."

Sazh turns around, looking at 'the other way' Vanille suggested. "Which would be...to Nautilus." Sazh walks up ahead, Vanille just stays behind, watching Sazh. Sazh stops then looks back. "If we want to get to Nautilus, our roar's through here."

Vanille nods then she skips on the road they're taking. After a minute of skipping, Vanille stops and gasps in horror at the sight of two large Flans in front of her. Sazh catches up to Vanille, and becomes disappointed to see those things.

"Now there's a sight I didn't want to see." Sazh takes out his Pistols and starts shooting at the blobs. One of them wasn't too happy about being shot. Vanille casts her Aero spells at the creatures, blowing them away. The two Flans falls over the road and down into the pit.

Sazh and Vanille stands on the edge of the road and looks down. "Phew. Not so tough, are they?" Vanille asks.

"Yeah. Well, there's plenty more where those came from." Sazh says.

Sazh and Vanille continues on their journey through the wilderness. As they walk, Sazh isn't really feeling too comfortable about this area. "All this dampness is damp." But Sazh just raises his shoulders and sighs. "Well, I guess this is better than homicidal scorpion robots and mountains of trash."

Vanille just laughs, she stops skipping and turns back looking at Sazh as she walks backwards. "Come on, silly man."

Vanille says waving back at him. Vanille turns back around and starts skipping. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Sazh says at Vanille.

Vanille and Sazh travels on the road in the Sunleth Waterscape, fighting through any creatures that gets in their way. Sazh starts to get really annoyed from most of the fights.

"Ah! Where's the weed killer when you need it?" Sazh asks, shooting at the Flans.

After each battle, Vanille just skips off. To her, she's all, skip, skip, battle while skipping and moving, skip, skip. It's like this girl is a run away train.

**EXTRA SENCE**

* * *

Sazh starts to get tired. Vanille is already about twenty feet away from Sazh. "Well you slow down?" Sazh asks her.

"Gotta keep up." Vanille says. Vanille spots a bush filled with apples. "Oh!" Vanille picks one of the apples and takes a bite. "Mmm."

Sazh slowly catches up to Vanille, panting. After walking, he falls on his butt in exhaustion. Sazh looks up to see Vanille eating an apple from a wild bush. "Uh...you sure you should be eating those?"

"It's very tasty." Vanille picks an apple and hands one to Sazh. "Try it."

Sazh goes raises his shoulders. "Eh, what the heck?"

Sazh just goes ahead and eats the apple. From a far distance, two PSICOM troops hide on a cliff, looking down at Sazh and Vanille.

"I see two people." The first trooper says.

"You think they're l'Cie?" The second trooper says.

"Possible. Why else would they come to this dangerous place alone?"

"Well, excuse me. I didn't know this place is too dangerous for normal citizens."

"Oh shut up...wait! They're on the move."

Sazh stands up and then he and Vanille moves on. "What should we do?"

"We follow them. If they're heading to Nautilus, we're gonna need to call for back up."

The two soldiers gets on their feet and move on.

* * *

Sazh and Vanille takes on a group of Spooks that are in their way. Upon their defeat, Sazh and Vanille continues on. As they walk, Vanille decided to talk. "Hey, Sazh, tell me about yourself." Sazh wonders what she meant exactly. "Any family?"

Sazh stops on his tracks. "I have a little boy."

Vanille stops and turns around, both surprised and excited. "Oh! So you're married!"

"Uh...yeah, I was." Sazh says.

Vanille smiles then giggles. She and Sazh takes a few steps ahead. "We gotta get you home. Your son needs you." Vanille stops, she notices that Sazh is looking down upset. Vanille thinks it's because he's a l'Cie and it wouldn't matter, just like Hope was. "Come on, we'll make it!"

Sazh just stops at the edge of the road, looking at the large view. He sighs and looks down. "It's too late."

Vanille places her hands on her hips. "Is it the l'Cie thing?"

Sazh was surprised, then he looks back at Vanille. "How'd you..."

Vanille walks up to Sazh. "You might be a l'Cie, but you're still a daddy."

Sazh should have known she meant him, not his son. Sazh just sighs. "You're right."

"So, what's his name?" Vanille asks.

Sazh doesn't answer, all he does is look back at the view.

[Flashback: Day 11 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

Everyone is enjoying the fireworks festival on the beautiful night in Bodhum. Sazh is sitting on the beach sand with his son beside him. Sazh looks down at his son as he makes his wish.

"Dajh, making a wish, huh?" Sazh asks. "What did you wish for?"

Dajh finishes his wish. "Well, you're never happy...You never smile." Dajh stands up. "So, here's what I wished: I wished that you'd cheer up and be like your old self again!"

Dajh just laughs afterwards, that's when Sazh get on his knees and hugs his son. The little chocobo pops out of Sazh's hair and chirps. "How about that?" The little chocobo leaps off of Sazhs hair and onto Dajh's shoulder as Sazh lifts his son to sit on his shoulders. "Your wish came true!"

Dajh laughs, then he and his father watches the fireworks. Dajh is amazed at the exploding lights. "Wow!"

Sazh now looks down with a sad expression on his face. "Okay, now it's my turn to make a wish."

Dajh looks down at his father. "What for?"

"That's my little secret." Is all Sazh answers.

[Flashback ends]

"Sazh?" Sazh turns around to see Vanille sitting down, looking up at him with concern. "You all right?"

"Oh. Yeah."

Vanille stands up. "Come on, pops! You've really got to keep it together, okay? So...let's go?"

Sazh sighs. "Now I've got kids looking out for me." Sazh watches Vanille moving on ahead. "Some dad I am."

Sazh and Vanille moves down on the path. This area is crawling with large Scalebeasts. When they made it down the cliff ledge, they see the Scalebeasts. The one they face is soundly asleep.

"We can sneak by these things." Sazh whispers.

Vanille nods, and that's what they did, they sneak around the area, passing the giant creature. When they make it past, they sigh in relief, then continue on, but then suddenly stopped seeing more of those large beasts.

Sazh grunts in quiet frustration. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"We can do this." Vanille says. Vanille sneaks her way through the beasts. Sazh follows her from behind. After a few minutes of sneaking, they make it past the resting place and continue down the road.

The enemies they now encounter are the Spooks. Vanille does her Fira spells while Sazh does some shooting. Two of the Spooks avoids the shooting, they rush up to Sazh and attacks him. Vanille blows those creatures off of him with Aerora, then she shifts into Medic and heals Sazh.

Sazh and Vanille continues on. Vanille takes a good look are the scenery as they move on. "It's so beautiful."

"Whatever you say, where's a camera when you need one?" Sazh jokes. Vanille just laughs at Sazh's joke. Vanille starts skipping over small islands in the middle of a river. Sazh does the same, just in jumping.

They make it cross the river, where they arrive at a wide open area. Vanille walks up to a tree and just stares at it. Sazh moves beside Vanille and sits on a large root. Sazh sighs in exhaustion.

Vanille puts her hands on her hips and looks at Sazh. "You look tired. Not enough sleep?"

Sazh just sighs. "I guess."

"Not surprising." Vanille starts to turn from Sazh. "Cute girl like me, it's hard to close your eyes, huh?" Vanille giggles.

Sazh shifts himself so he's laying on his side, facing away from Vanille. "I'm just gonna lie down for a bit."

Vanille turns, watching Sazh as he sleeps. Vanille moves aside, she stretches her arms in the air and yawns. The little chocobo flies out of Sazhs hair and flies towards Vanille. Vanille finds a big root and sits on it. She sees the little chocobo and laughs at it. She cups her hands together for the little fella to land on her hands.

Vanille raises her hands in front of her, facing the little chocobo. "Being made a l'Cie, it's not easy. I mean, look, even I'm kind of worried." Vanille smiles at the little chocobo. "But even if we don't know what'll happen, we have to keep our dreams alive." Vanille starts to look up to the sky. "Have something to look forward to, you know?"

Sazh talks in his sleep. "Next stop is Nautilus, city of dreams."

Vanille was surprised to hear Sazh speak, she figured he could have heard everything. She just smiles and nods. "Yep."

The little chocobo flies out of Vanille's hands, then flies into Sazh's hair. Vanille stretches her arms in the air. She lays down on the root, falling asleep.

About an hour later, the little chocobo starts chirping, flying around Vanille as she sleeps. Finally, Vanille wakes up as the little chocobo moves in front of her face. Vanille gets up and turns around, to see that Sazh is gone. "What?" Vanille sits up, looking around. "Sazh?"

Vanille looks at the little chocobo standing beside her. The little chocobo flies off the ground and flies towards the path ahead. Vanille watches it fly off, then follows it when it goes far enough.

"Hey, wait up little guy." Vanille says.

Vanille follows the little chocobo to the lake, where Sazh is just staring at the lake. Vanille seems worried for him. "Sazh?" Sazh turns around, startled, to see it's only Vanille.

"You scared me." Sazh says.

Vanille tilts her head curiously. "What's up?"

"I'm just thinking." Sazh says.

Vanille could probably tell what he's thinking about, probably something about being a l'Cie. "Don't blame yourself. You know, you can't control who a fal'Cie picks for a Focus."

"My son Dajh." Sazh becomes silent for a moment, then spoke again. "He was picked. He's a l'Cie. He said he wanted to see a fal'Cie. So, I took him to go on a tour of the Euride Gorge plant. Thought I'd surprised him with a chocobo chick to take him, but the second I turned my back...into the energy plant he went."

[Flashback: Day 5 - Euride Gorge]

Sazh rushes down the hallway in the energy plant, calling out for his son. "Dajh! Dajh, come out here!" There's no answer. "Dajh! I know you're in here!"

Sazh enters the energy plant. "Dajh!" Sazh waves the smoke away from, coughing. "Where are you? Say something!" Sazh looks through the smoke to find his son unconscious on the couch. "Dajh!" Sazh rushes up to his son. "Hey! What's wrong? Dajh!"

Dajh starts to wake up, the first thing he sees is his father. Dajh smiles. "Daddy."

Sazh sighs in relief. "It's all right. You okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Sazh checks Dajh's body for anything, but then he notices a marking on Dajh's hand. "What's that?"

Sazh soon realizes what that making means, he's now a l'Cie. PSICOM troops come in, they surrounded Sazh and Dajh. They try to take Dajh away, but Sazh stands against them, and they get into an argument.

[Flashback ends]

"Apparently, those Pulse l'Cie had snuck in and tried to attack the Sanctum fal'Cie. It did the only thing it could, and made Dajh a l'Cie to protect it. My son, he got picked by a Sanctum fal'Cie. He's a hero." Vanille starts to feel guilty just hearing this story. "But we're Pulse l'Cie, Dajh's enemies. However, after he was made a l'Cie, Dajh had some way of sensing things from Pulse. He was the one who found the Pulse fal'Cie. But the kid can't fight. So, that's why I put myself on the train to Purgeville. I figured his Focus had to have something to do with destroying that Pulse fal'Cie."

Sazh turns around and starts walking. "Thought I could do it for him, and, well..." Sazh looks down at his brand on his chest. "You know you rest. If I was right about his Focus, he's probably a crystal already. Of course, if he was supposed to take out that thing's l'Cie..." Vanille turns around to see Sazh taking out one of his guns. "Then either we die, or he's a Cie'th."

Vanille stands up. "Die? Really?"

Sazh holds the gun in front of him, looking at it. The little chocobo jumps out of his hair and lands on the gun. It faces Sazh with it's wings spread out, shaking it's head. Sazh sighs. "It's a pickle all right." Sazh lowers his gun, the little chocobo jumps off the gun and lands on his shoulder, facing Vanille. "But the bird...the bird says no."

The little chocobo jumps back into Sazh's hair as he walks off. Vanille looks up, seeing Sazh moving on towards the cave.

They walk down the caverns, taking the road, skipping through small islands. They make it through the caverns and enter a large trench, where they're greeted by some Spooks.

They take down the Spooks, only shortly after defeating those little creatures, a giant Wyvern. Sazh complains. "Oh great! Just what we need."

Vanille shifts into Saboteur and casts Imperil on the creature. "Come on, Sazh. We can take it!"

Sazh sighs and aims his guns at the monster. "If you say so." The Wyvern spits acid at Sazh, poisoning and weakening his defenses. Vanille shifts into Medic to cast Esuna on Sazh, until he's completely well.

Sazh shoots at the Wyvern. Vanille shifts back into Saboteur and casts Deprotect and Deshell on the monster. The Wyvern flies in front of Vanille and dives at her, snapping its jaws repeatedly at her. Did quite a number of damage on the girl.

Vanille shifts back into Medic and casts Cura on herself. Vanille now shifts into Ravager and starts casting Fira and Blizzard at the monster. The Wyvern screeches in agony then dies. Sazh sighs and Vanille cheers.

"We did it!" Sazh doesn't say anything else. Vanille just looks at him and starts dragging him. "Come on, pops!"

Sazh's feet starts to catch up on Vanille's dragging. "Okay, okay! I'm coming!"

Sazh and Vanille makes their way by the river, facing the Flans and a few single Wyvern's. Their battles against the Wyvern's were pretty rough. Would have been much easier if they had a third party member. (Am I right?)

Sazh and Vanille defeats their last Wyvern and they walk down the cave it was guarding. The cave leads them to another wide open trench that's crawling with more Flans, Spooks and Wyverns.

"Oh my! We just can't get a break!" Sazh complains.

"Oh come on, Sazh. This is nothing!" Vanille takes out her Binding Rod and starts running to the group of Spooks.

"Vanille!" Sazh sighs as he walks up to the fight Vanille ran into. "I just can't keep up with this kid." Sazh and Vanille fights their way through the monsters. After defeating the third Wyvern, Sazh is pretty exhausted. He just sits on his butt.

"Can't take this anymore! Wish Lightning and the others are here!" Sazh says.

Vanille shifts into Medic and casts cure on Sazh, hoping that'll boost him with some energy. "Aww, come on, Sazh! Pull yourself together!"

Sazh just sighs and stands up. "I guess you're right. We're almost there anyways."

Sazh and Vanille takes the trench path, they only faced a few Flans and Spooks. After shooting and burning those creatures, they start climbing up the small cliff. After climbing up the cliff, they run down the path.

They arrive at a small open area in the trench, where they see two snoring Woodwrith's, Enlil and Enki.

Sazh and Vanille takes a look at the monsters, they ain't too pleased to see them. "Uh-oh. That's not good."

"What do we do?" Vanille asks.

Sazh starts to whisper. "All right, I got it. We sneak."

Vanille nods. "Right."

So Sazh and Vanille sneaks by the two large creatures, tip-toeing, silent as a grave. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The two creatures snorts and starts to wake up. Sazh and Vanille starts to panic as the two creatures are up on their paws.

Sazh just grunts in frustration. "Just too much to ask to cut me one break, isn't it?!"

Sazh and Vanille takes out their weapons. "Come and get it!" The two monsters bellows at Sazh and Vanille.

Vanille shifts into Saboteur and starts casting Poison, Deshell and Deprotect on Enki, while Sazh shifts into Synergist and blesses himself and Vanille with Faith, Bravery only on himself, Haste and Vigilance. Enki does Waterburst on Vanille, spitting a bolt of water. Enlil does the same to Sazh, only as Thunderburst.

Sazh and Vanille both shift into Ravager and starts casting offensive spells at Enki. Enlil charges at Vanille and swipes her. Sazh shifts into Commando, he cast his Ruin spells at Enki. Enki leaps at Sazh, causing Sazh to fall down on his back as the creature lands on him.

Vanille blows the creature away with her Aerora. She had to blow a strong one since the creature was pretty big and heavy. Sazh gets back on his feet, and starts shooting at the monster. Enki starts to enrage, strengthening itself with Bravery and Haste. Vanille casts Fira and Thundara at Enki. Enlil does Thunderburst at Vanille. Vanille shifts into Medic and heals herself.

Sazh shoots at Enki, killing it. Enlil becomes enraged seeing it's partner fall, strengthening with Bravery and Haste. Vanille shifts into Saboteur and cast the Imperil, Deshell, Deprotect and Poison on Enlil. Enlil does Raging Tempest, charging it's body with electricity until he unleashes it all in a thundering nova.

Vanille shifts into Medic and heals Sazh with Cura. Sazh shifts into Ravager, he casts Fira and Aero at the creature. Enlil swipes at Sazh and Vanille. Vanille does a quick cure on herself and Sazh, then shifts into Ravager and attacks the creature.

Enlil leaps at Vanille, smashing her to the ground. Sazh attacks Enlil with Fira, then he shifts into Commando and shoots at it. Enlil weakens, but then dies from the suffering of Poison.

Vanille and Sazh puts away their weapons and sighs in relief. Sazh and Vanille takes a look around, they find a ledge path leading upwards to the cliff. "A hop, skip and a jump and we're in Nautilus." Sazh says.

Vanille looks down smiling. "The City of Dreams."

"If only we were dreaming up those clouds." Sazh says.

Vanille nods, then she and Sazh moves on. They walk up the road, until they arrive at some large electric fence. "Well, climbing over's out." Sazh says.

Vanille takes a look around that fence. Near the end, she sees a spark at the fence. Vanille runs up to it and takes a close look. "Oh! Over here!"

Sazh follows Vanille to that spot of the fence, there he sees a hole in that fence. Sazh carefully walks right through that hole, not to get electrocuted. Vanille does the same, following Sazh from behind.

Up ahead, they see a station near the docks. "We can board the ship over there."

Sazh and Vanille approaches to the station. Halfway there, it started to rain. Sazh covers himself to protect himself from the ran, he and Vanille runs to the station. They stop to catch their breath when they're drying under the roof of the station.

Vanille takes a seat on one of the chairs. "When it rains around here, it pours. And then it rains some more." Sazh says.

"Sazh?" Sazh turns to look at Vanille. "Do you hate Pulse?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Sazh answers, as if the answer to that question is completely obvious. "Look at this mess it's gotten us all into!" Vanille looks down in sorrow and guilt. "Of course, that's not to say I always hated it." Sazh takes a seat at one of the chairs. "Seemed fishy. All that Sanctum ranting about the 'threat from Pulse. Only a matter of time before they strike. Pulsed infested with monsters.'" Vanille's expression doesn't change. "Scare after scare, and not even a shred of proof." Sazh looks at Vanille. "Tired old cynics like me, we don't just swallow that tabloid crap. No, no. Not me. I figured the Sanctum was up to something crooked." Sazh looks down and sigh. "At least until I got dragged in.

Vanille barely turned her head towards Sazh. "Yeah..."

Sazh and Vanille are silent. Sazh gets on his feet and walks towards Vanille. "Now that I think about it, all this Purge business...It really only happened because Dajh found that Pulse fal'Cie."

Vanille could barely kept it a secret anymore. "You're wrong...don't blame him. It was all..."

Vanille could barely let it go. She lays her hands on her lap, shaking them in guilt. Sazh sighs and turns around. "Yeah, you're right. It was that scum from Pulse behind it."

Vanille feels broken hearing that. She sobs a little, gets up from her seat and runs outside, out in the rain. Vanille just stands there. Tears are filling her eyes, she tries to fight them, but they fell.

Sazh just watches Vanille from behind. "You're getting soaked."

Vanille turns to face Sazh. "I'll be fine." Vanille looks up, letting her face get soaked. "It's only water..."

**EXTRA SENCE**

* * *

The ship for Nautilus arrives. Sazh and Vanille gets on the ship. The whole time, Vanille just looks sad. Sazh notices, but he doesn't bother her. The ship leaves, when it does, the two PSICOM spies shows up at the station.

"They're heading to Nautilus all right." The first one says. "Should we go after them?"

"Negative. We'll call for the elite force." The second soldier takes out his communicator. "This is PSICOM officer 00293-BQ. There are two l'Cie's heading to Nautilus." The solider turns off his communicator. "We'll just wait for the forces to answer our message."

On the ship, Vanille is just sitting on the head of the ship. Sazh yawns and stretches his arms. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Was tiresome to get all the way over here."

Vanille looks at Sazh, she nods and manages to offer a smile. "Okay. Ciao."

Sazh makes his leave. As he does, the little chocobo pops out of his hair. It flies towards Vanille. Vanille cups her hands together for the chocobo to land in her hands. Vanille looks at it with a sad expression.

"What am I gonna do? What would he think...if he found out the truth?" Vanille asks it.


	8. Twilight Forest

A/N: This story is completely unofficial to Final Fantasy XIII, for it's a chapter that does not happen in the game. Though it could be a theory about how Lightning and Hope got into Palumpolum. The forest, Twilight Forest, though I'm not really sure if that's what Square Enix would call it. Just figured I'd give it a name. In this story, you'll find me in these woods, trying to find my way out and help out Lightning and the others. In this chapter, you'll find out a secret about my dark past, that's on the made-up side of my background that is, not from my real life, keep that in mind.

Chapter 6 1/2: Twilight Forest

Lightning and Hope makes their way through the woods. They arrive at a T road. Lightning looks at the two directions, then crosses her arms in front of her chest.

"Didn't we already came here?" Lightning asks.

Hope looks at the both directions. "I don't know. Almost everything looks the same." Hope starts panting a little, then he sits down against the boulder. "Can we take a break?"

"Hmm..." Lightning walks around slowly for a moment, then stops. "All right, we'll rest here for a moment." Lightning walks to a tree and lends against it, right cross from Hope. Lightning looks at the young boy. "I wonder where Snow and Patrick are at right now?"

"You think they've been captured?" Hope asks.

"Hard to say." Lightning says. Lightning looks up at the sky, as the darkness of the night starts to take over.

After a few minutes of rest, Lightning walks up to Hope and gives him a pat on the back. "Well, time to go."

Hope stands up. "Do you think we'll be able to get out of here?" Hope asks.

"I don't know, but we can only hope." Lightning says.

Just then, something catches Lightning's attention. She looks at the brushes by the trees. Hope seems curious. "What is-"

Lightning puts her hand over Hope's mouth. "Shh, quiet." Lightning hears some rustling from those bushes. She takes out of Gunblade and move slowly, carefully towards those bushes.

When Lightning was in front of those bushes, she moves the leafs out of the way, where she finds nothing. Lightning was sure she heard something. Lightning drops her curiosity, but that's when a Beast leaps out of nowhere and pounces on her.

Hope was sure surprised. "Lightning!"

Lightning pushes the beasts face away from hers as it roars and snaps its jaws at her. Lightning slashes her weapon through the beasts body. The creature dies and Lightning pushes it off of her. Lightning gets back on her feet, only to find more Beasts approaching.

"On your toes." Lightning orders.

[Flashback]

I'm at home, living a happy life, as I play in the yard with my pet dog. I am Patrick, six years old. My mother and father, they sit together our on the porch, watching me, laughing as I running around like a bunch of crazy girls at a One Direction concert.

But all of that suddenly changed, when everything shimmers and fades. The next thing I see, I'm in the Hanging Edge, in the middle of a war. I look to see two groups. One behind me are rebellions. One in front of my are PSICOM troops. I just sit in fear, watch as the bullets of gunfire flies above me.

"Come on!" My mother says as she grabs my arm and starts dragging me. "We've got to get out of here."

My mother runs down the bridge line, where a group of helpless citizens gathers in front of a helicopter. My mother makes her and my way through the crowd, until we made it to the front.

My mother pleads at the man who's leading the rebellions. "Please, you have to let us on."

The man shook his head. "Sorry. There's no more room." He says. "You'll have to stay here and hope you'll leave to see tomorrow." The man makes his way to the pilot of the helicopter. "Take her up!"

"Wait!" My mother shouts. The man looks at her, and the pilot holds the orders. My mother doesn't say anything else, then she looks past the crowd, who's disbanding to reveal PSICOM troops are heading this way.

"Mom?" I look up at my mother, with sad eyes.

My mother kneels down in front of me, which her hands on my shoulders. "You'll be okay, everything's going to be okay." My mother unclasps her necklace, then clasps it right around my neck. After that, she gives me a hug, with tears in her eyes. "Patrick, everything I've done...I've done to protect you."

"Mom?" I ask, with worry but mostly confusion.

My mother ends the hug, then she carries me to the man. "Please, take him...Take him home."

The man looks at me, then he nods. "We'll do what we can."

My mother smiles, then she puts me on the helicopter. She looks at me with a smile, tears staining her cheeks, then she leans in to give me a kiss on the forehead. "I love you, my dear."

My mother steps back, and I start to worry. I get even more scared as the helicopter takes off. "M-mom? Mommy!"

I look down, reaching for her. That's when the other people on board starts grabbing me, trying to pull me back. But I fought. I watch the whole thing from above, as PSICOM troops approaches to my mother. She just stands, looking up with her eyes closed, arms wide open. That's when I saw the one thing that made my heart stop: They shoot her.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I yell down with tears flowing out of my eyes like a waterfall.

[Flashback ends]

"Mother!" I yell as I sat up in a shot.

I pant in fear, then I look around my surroundings. I'm not on board a helicopter, I'm in a forest at night. I sigh in relief, I was only dreaming. I get up on my feet, then look behind me to find a Velocycle crashed on top of a tree. It was then I remembered what I was doing. I was running away from the Cavalry, and I did it by hijacking Fang's Velocycle. I've been flying around Cocoon until I ran out of gas, and I guess I must have crash landed into these woods.

"Guess I won't be returning it." I say. I look to see my hat is hanging on the branch. I reach up and grab it, then put it back on my head. I take a look around the area I am. "Where am I now?"

These woods are unfamiliar to me. Then again, I don't think any forest can seem familiar to anyone. It's nothing but a bunch of trees covering the lands. What makes them any different?

"Well, guess I should take a look around." I say, moving ahead. I look up at the sky, noticing hard dark it is. There's nothing but the stars. I can't even get a view of the moon. "How long have I been out?"

I put my hand on my head, scratching in confusion.

Just then, something captured my ears, the sound of a creature chattering. I look to see some red blob, a Flan. It's a small one, probably a baby. Three more came out. they just stand there, looking at me. I take out my bow and aim a loaded arrow at it.

"Looks like I'll have something fun to do." I shoot at the Flan, instantly killing it.

The other three Flans saw that and just slithers away. "Humph...cowards." I say, moving on.

I walk around these woods, trying to find a path to take. There are no roads or walkways. Nothing but grass and trees. The monsters I encounter, they aren't really tough. It's just some baby Flans, weak Spooks and lesser goblins.

After walking for about half an hour, I stop to look around. I start to feel like I'm going in circles. "Hmm...the monsters here aren't very challenging."

I walk through some bushes, and something catches my attention. Corpses, everywhere. Corpses of the creatures that live in these woods. Red puddles that resembles to the dead Flans, slain Spooks and Stalkers. I take a closer look at the Spook and Stalker corpses. Some of them are cut to pieces. Others are either burned or fried. I look up at the trees, noticing some black markings. I feel them, it's very warm. I look at my palm to see the black mess steins my hands. Ash. I also noticed some of the branches are frozen.

"Guess I'm not alone." I say.

I look around, then I see a line of corpses in one direction. A trail. "This way." I follow the trail of corpses, hoping it'll lead me to a way out of these woods. I follow the trail. There were no monsters in my way, but I guess it's because those monsters are right under my feet.

I follow the trail until it leads to a dead end. A small cliff that hangs above a massive river. I look ahead to see a continued path. It also has a trail of corpses. I'm guessing whoever's here somehow manages to cross.

I take out an arrow and the rope. I tie the rope to the tail of the arrow. I aim for a large branch that hangs above the river and fire. The arrow pierces into the branch. It doesn't look like it's all the way in, but I can only hope it'll hold me.

I grab on to the rope and swing across. When I swing across, the arrow slides out. To my luck, I manage to grab on to the cliff just before I fell into the river. I look down at the river, seeing the arrow fall into it. I take a deep breath then pull myself up. When I'm on the ground, I start wrapping up the rope until I reach for the arrow.

I put the arrow and the rope away and continue down the trail. As I follow the trail, I run into a couple of monsters. I guess whoever was here didn't really finish them off. Most of the fights are either a injured creatures or just one or two weaklings.

After I read the end of the trail, I sit down in exhaustion. I feel like I've been walking for hours. But it's really just been about forty-five minutes since I woke up. I look at the end of the trail.

"Dead end, huh?" I say, then I look around to see nothing but trees and bushes. "I wonder how this happened..."

I decided to take a quick rest, so I lay down on the soft grass. After about a minute, I hear a scream. I shot up from hearing it, it sounds like a woman. I quickly got on my feet and follow the noise.

I could hardly make out the voice, but the screaming sounds like someone got hurt or maybe they're scared. I hear a battle going on as I draw close. I take cover and hide in some bushes. I move some of the leafs out of the way to see what's happening.

There, I see Hope and Lightning surrounded by four Beasts and a Behemoth. I widen my eyes open seeing them. "Lightning and Hope?" I look at what's happening to those two, they're cornered by a large boulder with each of the monsters cutting off their way out.

Hope stands his ground with his boomerang out, ready to throw it or cast his offensive magic. Behind him is Lightning, who's sitting in agony with her hand on her side stomach. Hope's trying to protect her.

Lightning looks up at Hope. "Hope! Run! ...Safe yourself!"

Hope looks back at Lightning. "No way! I'm not going to leave you!" Hope looks back at the monsters. He takes a step back as the monsters creep closer and closer. One of the Beasts begins to pounce, but then it suddenly dies when my arrow hits it.

Hope is surprised to see that, then becomes confused seeing the arrow. "What the..."

Just then, more of the arrows fires, the rest of the Beasts dies, leaving the Behemoth. The Behemoth growls in curiosity and sniffs the air, but then roars as three of my arrows pierces it on the butt.

I whistle at the monster. "Hey! Ugly!" The Behemoth snarls as it turns around to face me. I raise my hand towards the behemoth and wave it at to come at me. "Come and get me!"

Hope looks past the Behemoth, to see me. "Patrick?" Hope kneels down to Lightning. "Light, Patrick's here."

Lightning shots her eyes open and looks past Hope, nearly getting a view of me as the Behemoth is blocking part of her sight. "Patrick...What is he doing?"

The Behemoth roars and charges at me. I make my stand, getting ready to leap. The Behemoth runs closer and closer. Just then, I run towards it. When we were three feet in front of each other, I jump, put my hands on its head for an extra boost and flip over it. I land just when I leap past it's tail, and the Behemoth crashes its head right into a tree, then it falls unconscious.

I look back at the unconscious behemoth and humph at it, then I walk up to Lightning and Hope. "You guys okay?"

Hope stands up and walks up to me. "We are now, thanks to you."

I nod, then I start to hear a soft growl. I turn around to see the Behemoth regain conscious. As it tries to stand, it's legs wobble. The Behemoth turns around to face us. I arm myself, ready to shoot, only my face flushed at what the beast is gonna do next. The Behemoth stands on it's hind legs, grabs hold of it's horn, revealing it's a buzz saw weapon and then roars as electric energy courses through it, strengthen and restoring it's health.

I growl at the sight of that. "I hate it when they do that!"

Hope stands next to me, with his boomerang out and ready to fight. I shift into Saboteur and start casting Deprotect, Deshell and Debrave at the Behemoth. Hope shifts into Synergist and cases Haste and Protect on us, then does Bravery on me and Faith on him. The Behemoth smashes it's buzz saw blade at us. We didn't suffer must damage since the monster's strength is weak and our defenses are high.

I shift into Commando and I start shooting at the Behemoth. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts his offensive magic at it. The Behemoth cleaves it's weapon at me and Hope. Hope casts Blizzara at the Behemoth, freezing it. I repeatly shoot at the Behemoth until the ice shatters, and the Behemoth falls dead on the ground.

I look down at the monsters corpse. "Humph, Nice to find a challenge in these woods." I turn back looking at Hope. "You guys are lucky I showed up. In a couple of minutes, you two would have been dinner."

Lightning struggles to get on her feet. "We...we had it under...control. Gah!"

Lightning collapses on the ground. "Lightning!" Hope rushes to Lightning. I just standby watching the two. Hope helps Lightning lean against the boulder. "Hold still, let me see." Hope carefully moves Lightnings hand out of the way, seeing that her palm and the clothing of her vest is coated in blood. Hope moves the vest out of the way and takes a closer look at the wound. Lightning groans in pain as Hope gave it a gentle feeling. "Sorry...it looks pretty deep." Hope shifts into Medic and casts some Cure spells on it.

I watch Hope taking care of Lightning. Seeing this just brings back the visions I once had. This one nightmare where I just kneel down at my mothers corpse, crying as she died right in my arms. I exhale through the nose, put two fingers on my forehead and shake that thought out of my head.

When Hope finishes healing Lightning, he takes her cloak and gently wraps it around her stomach. "I've done all I can. It might take a while for it to heal on it's own."

When Hope was done, Lightning puts a hand on Hopes shoulder, then smiles. "Thanks Hope."

Lightning attempts to stand up, but Hope stops her. "No, you should rest. You need to take it easy."

"I'll be fine. I've been through worse, kid." Lightning says. "Besides, I'm usually a fast healer."

Lightning staggers a bit as she stands. She collapses forward a little, but then regains her balance. "It's probably best for you to stay out of combat." I suggested. "Just what are you two doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing." Lightning says to me. "Shouldn't you be with Snow?"

"Is he with you now?" Hope asks hopefully, with a bit of anger in his tone.

I just turn away from Lightning and Hope at that thought. "Who cares about Villiers?"

"What happened?" Lightning asked.

I sigh then turn around to face them. "After you guys left, I decided to ditch Snow and catch up with you guys. But then my path got blocked, so I went to find another way. After that, I returned to Snow to find out PSICOM spotted him. Snow stand and fought them until he was forced to summon an eidolon."

Hope is surprised to hear that. "An eidolon?" Hope faces Lightning. "It's just like you, Light."

"Maybe, but I doubt Snow received Odin." Lightning says.

"Nope. It was Shiva...twin sisters in fact." I say. "After that, PSICOM retreated, and then me and Snow fought the eidolon...well, I did most of the fighting while he was acting like a coward and hide behind his defenses." I scoff at that sentence. "Anyways, after the battle, the Cavalry spotted us. They captured Snow and Serah, but I manage to escape by hijacking a Velocycle. I flow all over Cocoon looking for you guys, until I ran out of gas and crash landed in this forest."

Lightning's not happy to hear that story. "Serah...they have her." Lightning says.

"They also got Snow too." Hope says, clenching his fists.

"Yeah, well get this. Their commander is a l'Cie." Hope and Lightning are both surprised to hear that. "I know, I'm just as shocked as you two."

"A l'Cie is working for them?" Lightning asks.

"Well...I assume she's a l'Cie. I saw her brand, but it was...different." Lightning and Hope just looked confused. "It didn't look anything like ours. It was all white and the pattern was...um..." I think for a moment, then I take out my arrow and kneel down in front of some dirt, drawing the pattern Fang's brand had. "Like this."

Lightning and Hope kneeled down and take a look at the picture. "What do you suppose that means?" Hope asks.

"That's what I'm wondering. I think it means that...it's a l'Cie who completed their focus?" I ask.

Lightning just scoffs. "No way. Once you're a crystal, it's over." Lightning stands up.

"I don't think so." Hope says. "I heard that if you complete your focus, you turn into crystal and gain eternal life."

"Hope's on to something. If you turn into crystal, what's the point of having eternal life if you remain a crystal for the rest of it?" I ask. "It could mean that you live a long time as a crystal, sleeping, and then you wake up."

Lightning turns to face me. "But no one's ever been awake from a crystal status."

"Maybe they have, we probably just don't know cause we never witnessed it's awakening." I say. "Now, I have some questions for you two. What are you two doing out here?" I look around. "And more importantly, where are the others?"

"After we escape from Lake Bresha, we ran into some warships. We flew all over Cocoon until we got shoot and crashed into the Vile Peaks." Hope says.

"As we journey through the peaks, we started to go our separate ways. I try to make my way to Eden, while Hope here decides to follow me. Sazh and Vanille...who knows? They're probably heading to Nautilus." Lightning explains.

"Great...now it all makes sense." I say.

"We're on our way to my hometown, Palumpolum. To find transport to Eden." Hope says.

I became surprised to hear that word 'hometown' then I turn to face Hope. "You're going to your hometown?" Hope nods while Lightning gives a single one. "I'm going with you two."

"You don't have to come." Hope says.

"But I have too. I made a promise to take you home, and that's what I'm gonna do." I say.

Hope just shook his home. "I don't think it matters anymore. We're l'Cie."

"l'Cie or not, a promise is a promise." I make my way down one path of the forest. After a few feet, I look back. "I'll take point. Hope, you take care of Lightning. Lightning, you watch our backs."

Hope and Lightning remains behind as I move on, and Hope sighs. "Guess he's coming with us." Hope looks up at Lightning. "He's pretty stubborn. How do you deal with him?"

"You get use to it. You were like this back in the Vile Peaks." Lightning says, limping towards the path I took.

Hope nervously chuckles as he scratches the back of his head. "Right..." Hope follows me and Lightning. Of course, even when walking, he's going faster then Lightning. He easily passed her and just follows me.

"So, where are we anyways?" I ask.

"Twilight Forest." Hope says. "It's just outside of my hometown. These woods are very dangerous."

"How's that? The creatures I faced aren't even that tough." I say.

"Maybe, but there are more dangerous ones around here." Hope says. "No one knows for sure how the woods are dangerous. Cause once they go in, they never come out. Some have theories that it's cause people easily get lost or the monsters are just so dangerous."

"Seeing the creatures in here, I'd say the getting lost part might be the reason." I say.

"That I'll believe, since we can't seem to figure out where we are." Lightning says.

I just stop and turn back to see Lightning and Hope. "Wait, you guys are lost too? How did you guys get in here anyways?"

"We found Palumpolum, but it's crawling with PSICOM troops." Lightning says. "Hope suggests we take these woods as a way to sneak into the town."

"Taking an unknown forest where people go in but never come out just to sneak into town...brilliant." I say sarcastically.

"Well, it's better then getting shot in plain sight of a hundred soldiers." Lightning says.

"That's also true." I say, continuing on.

As we walk down the path, we run into some monsters. These feral creatures are tough. At least they're not like the ones I faced before I ran into Lightning and Hope, cause that would be depressing. The three of us against a weak army that Hope...no, the wounded Lightning, can handle by herself.

I shoot at the monsters while Hope stands beside me casting his magic at them. Lightning just stands behind at a safe distance, making sure she doesn't get attacked so she could recover. Of course, at hard times, she would just shift into Medic and heal our wounds, just so Hope doesn't have to waste fighting time to do it.

After a couple of battles, we arrived at multiple crossroads. When Lightning catches up, she leans forward with a hand on her knee and her other hand on her wrapped up stomach. Hope looks at the different pathways.

"Which way do we go?" Hope asks.

"Hmm..." I look up at one of the trees. "I'll take a look."

I start climbing up the tree. I climb up until I can get a clear view all over the forest. I look around and find a small town. It's mainly small cause of distance. So it's clearly a big town.

I climb down and land right in front of Lightning and Hope. "I saw a large town, I assume it's Palumpolum." I turn to the left side, in between the two paths. "It's that way, so our choices are these two."

"I say we split up." Lightning suggests.

"We can't. It's not a good time." Hope says.

"We need to get to Palumpolum fast." Lightning says.

"I'm afraid Hope's right." I say. "With you wounded, there's no way you or Hope can look after yourselves or each other." I did the team forms. Me and Hope, Lightning alone. By myself, Lightning and Hope. Me and Lightning, Hope by himself. None of them are any good. "We stay together."

We take the path on the right, hoping that'll lead to Palumpolum. We walked for a couple of minutes. Half the way, Lightning couldn't walk anymore, so Hope had to help her, by supporting her as her crutch.

"You sure you don't want to rest?" Hope asks.

"I'll be fine." Lightning asks. "You don't have to worry about me, Hope."

"I know that. I just don't want you to overdo yourself." Hope says.

Fighting the monsters wasn't too easy. For Hope at least, sense he has to hold on to Lightning.

We walked until we arrive at a dead end. It's a really long cliff. I look down to see nothing but darkness. I pick up a pebble and throw it down. I listen closely for the pebble to land. It hasn't. It's like a bottomless pit or something.

Hope and Lightning stands beside me, and then looks down at the trench. "Dead end?"

"Sounds more like wrong way. We should head back." Lightning says.

"Not likely." I say. "If there's one thing I learned, is that there's no dead end."

Hope looks ahead. "Well, what can we do?"

"Well, I can shoot my rope over there and we can climb there." I look back at Lightning. "But I don't think Lightning can hold on in her condition. So that's out."

"So...We're going have to improvise?" Hope says.

"Perhaps." Me and Hope thinks for a moment, then I spotted a really big tree. I snap my fingers. "I got it!"

I grab Lightning's Gunblade from it's holster. "He-hey! Don't touch that!" Lightning tells me.

I walk up towards the tree. Hope and Lightning follows me from behind. "Uh, Patrick...what are you doing?"

"I got some chopping to do." I say, as I begin chopping at the tree. After a minute, I look back at Hope. "This is going to take a while. Maybe you two should rest up."

Hope sets Lightning down to lean against another tree about five feet beside us. "I don't need to rest up. I'm still good."

"In that case, why don't you keep watch?" I ask. Hope nods then he walks a few feet away, keeping an eye out.

Me and Lightning are left alone here, Lightning's resting up while I'm trying to chopping down the tree. Halfway through the bark, Lightning begins to speak.

"It was Hope, wasn't it?" I stop chopping and look back at Lightning. "It was his mother you promised to protect him...right?"

"Hmm...yeah." I turn back to the tree and resume chopping. "I take it the kid told you."

"Sort of...He just mentioned what happen to his mother. After that, I put all the other pieces together." Lightning says.

"You know it was Villiers fault!" I say, with my anger rising, which also affects my chopping.

Lightning just sighs. _It's operation Nora all over again. _"Have you been influencing Hope?"

"What makes you say that?" I ask.

"Cause he's blaming Snow for his mothers death." Lightning says.

"That's because it is!" I stop chopping and turn to face Lightning. "You weren't there when she died, I was and so was Snow. I promised Hope that I would keep her safe, but because of Snow, she got dragged deep into danger and I couldn't save her!"

"But getting revenge on Snow isn't the answer. Hope wants to kill Snow, he even created Operation Nora." Lightning says.

"Operation NORA? I guess it the name makes sense since Snow's leader of that group." I say.

Lightning shook her head. "No. Nora. That was her name."

I realize what Lightning meant, Hope's mother. "Oh..." I turn and resume chopping. "Well, let the kid get his revenge. Villiers deserves it. I was gonna kill the fool myself when we meet again."

"Why is it you hate Snow so much?" Lightning asks. "I mean, I get it you might not like him, I know I don't cause he's an idiot and arrogant. But why?"

"Many! Reasons!" I say. "He's reckless, calls himself a hero when he's a zero, always hurts anyone around him when he's trying to 'help'. All chummy and arrogant. He even thinks I'm his pal!" I look back at Lightning. "You know how he is. You said so yourself, you can't stand him."

"But that doesn't mean I'll want him dead." Lightning says. "What else? I can tell there's more."

I turn my attention back at the tree. "You won't understand! Just like every other girl in the world!" I say. Just then, An old memory hits me. There is someone who did understood what I was going through, and she was a girl too. Lebreau...

[Flashback: Day 4 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

After a long day on a mission with team NORA, I'd never thought that day would end. The NORA members weren't too bad, expect for that Gabot guy, but it's really Snow Villiers I can't stand. Even though he did pay me 1,500 gil to tag along on this job, I'm still pissed off when he gave me my 'bonus': The Big Sister's Complex magazines - Super edition volumes 1-8.

I stand in front of the NORA cafe, where I'm dumping these despicable magazines in the fireplace outside. "Villiers! That blockhead, self-absorbed, big phony loser! What in Pulse makes that doofus think I want anything to do with this load of garbage?" After I put all the magazines in place, I take out a box of matches. "What does he see me as? Some kind of animal? Honestly, what is it that Serah sees in that blockhead? It's just one thing after anoth-"

"Hey you." The sound of someone calling made me flinch, having the box of matches jump around in my hands.

I nervously turned around, holding the matches behind my back, only to see it's just Lebreau. "Oh, it's just you. I thought you were Serah."

Lebreau tries to look at what's behind me, but I quickly block her sight by moving in front of her face. "What are you doing?"

"...Nothing." I say.

Lebreau pushes me out of the way then kneels in front of the pile of magazines. Lebreau picks up one of the magazines, and then another. She looks both worried and surprised to see them. "Big Sister's Complex?" Lebreau looks back at me, holding out the two magazines. "You read these?"

I groan and snatch the Magazines from Lebreau. "No I don't! But your idiot boss thinks I do!" I throw the magazines onto the pile. "That's my burden, Lebreau. People always thinks I'm one type of person over a common thread. It's what I call 'Immediate Judgment.' People just assumes who I am without even bothering to get to know the real me." I take out one of the matches. I attempt to light it up, but fails. "These damn magazines are the most common. People, mainly Snow, thinks I'm a kind of person who hungers for women exposure bodies, like I'm some kind of animal. And do you know why people think that, hmm?" After about five tries, the match lights it. I hold it in front of me, glaring at the flames. "Because I'm a boy! That's why!"

I throw the match onto the pile, watching the magazines slowly being engulfed in flames. When they're all on fire, I sigh and walk away for a few feet. "No one really understands me. Everytime I tell some girl about this problem, they always think I'm really an animal and I'm just trying to use them to 'feed my hunger'."

"Well, I'm not one of those girls." Hearing that makes me a little surprised as I turn to face her. She's just smiling at me. "In fact, when I first saw them, I was wondering why you have them. I mean, sure, I was worried you might be one of those guys. But I didn't want to believe it, I wanted to know the truth."

"Hmm...Hearing that makes me feel better." I say.

Lebreau soon realizes something. "Wait...You said no girl ever understands you...what about Serah? She's still your friend after you told her, right?" I didn't say anything, but I just look down in shame. "Wait...you never told her...didn't you?"

"No, I haven't." I look up at Lebreau. "Serah's my only friend. I couldn't risk losing my one and only friend over this cursed burden. I do trust her...but I just..." I don't know what else to else, I can tell from Lebreau's face that she still wants an answer. I just sigh and walked away. "It's complicated."

[Flashback ends]

Lightning just rolls her eyes, then I finish my chopping. The tree starts cracking and breaking. I step back watching as the tree falls forward to the trench. "TIMBER!" I shout. The tree falls with both of its ends on the two cliffs, becoming a bridge.

Hope and Lightning both seem impressed. For Hope, surprised. "What I tell yea? There are no dead ends." I say, handing the gunblade back to Lightning. I make my way through the new bridge. Hope grabs on to Lightning and they make it across as well.

After passing the bridge, we walk down the path. On the way, we run into a couple of monsters. Some Beasts, Stalkers and a Behemoth or two. Some of the fights got pretty rough, Lightning had to join in on the fight as a Medic, from a safe distance that is.

"Is it me or are the monsters getting tougher and tougher?" Hope asks.

"It's not just you. I'm taking notice too." I say as we continue down our path. We walked for what almost felt like forever, but it was only for thirty minutes. When we reached to a wide open space, I stop in the middle. Hope and Lightning just stays by the path. Hope is about to give out in exhaustion. When Hope let's Lightning go, the girl just fall on her bottom, sighing in relief.

Hope moves side and then sits down. "Just need...a minute to-" Hope turns to his side and screams horrified at the sight of a skeleton. Me and Lightning are on alert, but dropped our guard seeing it's only a skeleton.

I help Lightning stand and help her move close to Hope, so we can get a close look at the corpse. "It's just a skeleton." Lightning says.

"Must be one of the disappeared people from your home, Hope." I say.

Hope gets a close look at the skeleton, the torn old clothes and hat, he picks up a wallet and takes a look at the I.D. card. "No. It can't be...It's Paul."

"Friend of yours?" I ask.

"Yeah. He disappeared three months ago. He wanted to find out why the forest is dangerous, so he just rushes in." Hope says.

"Sounds like another Snow to me." Lightning says.

I look down at the bone hand of Paul, and picked up a digital camera. "Hey look, a camera." I open the screen on the side of the camera. "There's a recording."

I hand the camera to Lightning, and me and Hope lean beside her to view the recording.

Paul is just at the gates of Palumpolum, he's about to make his way to Twilight Forest. "Hey there, friends. Paul here. Today is the day we discover the biggest mystery here in Palumpolum: Twilight Forest." The video ends and then another video shoot happens, much later. "Paul here again. The creatures here aren't very tough. Here, I found a large nest of bones. I can tell these are the disappeared citizens. I'm not sure how they died, but-" Just then, a loud bellow happens, which startles Paul. "Whoa...what was that? I'm gonna take a look at it." The video ends, then another is shown, Paul running away in fear. "There's something out there! Something big and dangerous! I don't know if I'll ever make it out, but I think its-" Just then, Paul trips and gets dragged away, with a loud roar happening in the shadows he's being dragged into. The video ends.

"That's it?" Hope asks as Lightning closes the screen.

"Seems like it." Lightning says.

"But...wh-what about the thing he was running away from?" Hope asks.

"Who knows. Whatever it is, it's big and dangerous. We'll need to stay on guard." I say.

We continue down the forest. As we move, we noticed a trail of skeletons. At first, it wasn't much, like only one every 30 steps, but it grows stronger and stronger, like two skeletons every 10 steps. We move on until we arrived at the area filled with piles of bones, that we saw from the video.

Hope sets Lightning down by a tree and walks up next to me. Just then, a deep loud roar happens. That caught my attention while it startles Hope. After the roar ends there's nothing but silence. "Did you hear that?" Hope asks, a little worried.

I slowly reach for my bow. "Yeah...I sure did." I say as I slowly walk and look around, wondering where that noise came from. After about a minute, nothing happens. No enemy approach, strange or scary noises. Nothing. I just put my bow away. "Whatever it was, it's probably gone...We'll rest here for a moment then continue on in-"

I became interrupted by the sound and rumbling of a large creature landing behind me. Hope screamed at the sight of it. I quickly turned around and look up at the monster. "Holy swiss cheese!" The monster is a large wooden beast covered in purple moss, with tentacles around it's head. An Ochu.

"What the hell is that thing?" Hope asks.

I back up from the beast then take out my bow. "I'm guessing this is the source of the disappearing citizens."

Hope runs to my side, taking out his boomerang. "Can we take it?"

The Ochu spawn it's seeds over the ground, and the seeds quickly grow into his spawn of Picochu's, little seed creatures. "Don't know, but we can't back down just yet."

I figured that since he creates his spawn, we shouldn't waste our time on the munchkins, we've gotta take out big daddy over here. Hope and I both shift into Synergist, and we bless ourselves. I bless us with strengthening spells: Bravery (On me) Faith (On Hope) Enfire and Haste. While Hope does the defenses: Protect, Shell and Vigilance.

The little punks starts attacking us. Doesn't really hurt that much, but they're quick and there's so many. I shift into Saboteur and start casing my debuff spells on the Ochu. Hope shifts into Medic and starts healing us with Cura. By the time I finished my casting on the monster, it plants its tentacles into the ground, and then impale right under my feet, knocking me into the air. That stings pretty much, but quickly fades as Hope casts his healing spells upon me.

I shift into Commando and start shooting at the Ochu with my fiery arrows, while Hope shifts into Ravager and starts casting Fira spells at the Ochu. Those little munchkins that are attacking us, really starting to get on my nerves, but I just know fighting them is pointless. It's like they act as a distraction. Trying to protect the leader of the fight by provoking us to hit them.

As we fight, the Ochu bellows a deep, echoing roar. Really hurt us, and somehow manages to dispel our buffs. But at the same time, it blesses his spawn. Hope and I shift back in Synergist and quickly rebuff each other. The Picochu's are hurting us real hard. It's as if the roar blessed them with Bravery.

Hope shifts into Medic when he was done and casts Cura on the both of us. I shift into Commando and continue shooting at the Ochu. Just then, the Ochu starts spawning pollen in the air. It heals it and it's spawn, and also removes the debuffs I planted on it.

I shift into Saboteur and start casting Deprotect, Deshell and Slow on the monster. Hope shifts back into Ravager and starts casting Fira at it. When the monsters defenses were weaken, I shift back into Commando and continue shooting at it. The Ochu plants it's tentacles into the ground and impales under Hope, knocking him into the air.

Hope lands on the ground, when he does, he shifts into Medic and casts Cura on himself. While he was healing, I manage to kill the Ochu and then I start shooting at the Picochu's. Hope shifts back into Ravager and starts burning them with his fiery spells, until there's nothing left but a pile of ash.

"All right!" I say, as I put away my bow. I look at Hope, noticing he's panting and beginning to collapse on his knees, then at his bottom. I look up at the sky, noticing the moon is at its highest point. "Okay, we'll rest here for the night. Then continue at dawn." I walk off at some bushes, gathering some firewood. I lay the pile in the middle of the area. "Hope, do you mind?" Hope read my mind as he shoots a fire spell at the pile of wood. "Thanks."

I walk towards Lightning, and help her move closer to the fireplace. I sat her down next to Hope. "All right. You two get some rest, I'll keep watch."

I walk off, leaving Lightning and Hope alone by the campfire. Once Hope got some of his energy back, he uses it to heal up some of Lightnings wound. By the time he was done, the cuts on her stomach are barely noticeable, but are still hurting. Hope figures she'll be back into fighting by morning. Then he quickly goes to sleep.

Hours have passed, I'd say about three of them. Lightning lays on the ground, half asleep. When she opens her eyes, she looks to see the fire is dead, and Hope's still asleep, while I'm still at my post taking watch. Lightning decides to get up and come talk to me. When she stands, she staggers a little, but then walks normally afterwards.

"Hey." I turn around and noticed Lightning's on her feet. "You should get some rest, I'll take over from here."

I shook my head then resume to my previous position. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

Lightning sighs, then he decides to sit on the other side of the path I'm looking at. "What did Snow do to you?" I just look down in silence. "Come on, you can tell me. I'm gonna find out sooner or later."

Hearing that, I sigh in defeat. Knowing Lightning, she's right. I reach into my pack for the Big Sisters Complex magazine and hold it out, not even looking at Lightning. "Tell me, what do you see here?" I throw the magazine at Lightning, until it's sliding in front of her.

Lightning picks up the magazine and reads the cover, which says it's title and there's a picture of a sexy 25 year old wearing nothing but a bra and a tight mini skirt, with long red hair. "It's nothing but a Big Sister's Complex magazine." Lightning says.

"Exactly!" I yell, sending my arms in the air. "Ever since my 18th birthday, Snow Villiers have been giving me these despicable excuse for a magazine!" I stand up and walk up to Lightning. "He's been giving them to me time and time again. I keep telling him I want nothing to do with that garbage, but he never listens." I take the magazine from Lightnings hands. "Everytime he gives them to me, I burn them. Burn them all!" I hold the one magazine in front of me. "All expect for this one. I kept this one as a reminder of his bitter judgment."

I shove the magazine back into my pack. I walk away as Lightning looks at me with confusion. "Judgment?"

"Hey." Another voice startles me and Lightning. We both look and see that Hope is half awake. "What's with all the yelling?"

"We were just talking." Lightning says to Hope, then back at me. "What do you mean judgment?"

"That's the life I live!" I say, my tone turning into anger. "People always judge me harshly without getting to know the real me. They assume I'm many things that I'm not! A man hungering for women's exposure! Some kind of idiot! A bad guy that causes trouble or steal stuff!" I turn around to face Lightning and Hope. "That last one was just because of my actions, only during my job as a Mercenary. But they have no idea of the actions I have in mind, outside of my job. Do they honestly think I enjoy my life of working with burglars or murders? Do they really think I wanted to become a Mercenary? I'm a boy who lost his family at a young age, and I was illy prepared to fend for myself! I did what I had to do to survive!"

"I don't think it's really any excuse just to do terrible jobs." Lightning says. "When my parents died, I didn't dropped out of school and worked as a mercenary. I worked at a part-time job until I got into the Guardian Corps when I graduated. Not to mention me and Serah had other friends to look after us while we were poor."

"You don't get it at all, do you, Farron?" I snap at her. "No one does!" I walk away until I was in front of the campfire. "No one cares for me! I had no one! I was all alone, with no one on my side. People just assume I'm some kind of monster." I look up at the sky with tears in my eyes. I take a moment in silence, then I place my hand on my brand. "But now...I am one."

Hope stands up and walks up to me. "You must have had a pretty rough life. I'm sorry to hear about that."

"Yeah, well, you don't know everything, kid." I turn to face Hope. "There are something's I have experienced, I shut them out, turn away from them." I look down, raising a hand in front of me, then clenching it into a fist. "The pain...is just unbearable."

"I know, how it feels. I did lose my mother after all." Hope says, looking down.

"Yes...that's right." I say.

Lightning stands up and walks to us. "Don't forget, you still have your dad." Lightning puts a hand on Hopes shoulder. "We are going to stop by your place."

Hope turns away from Lightning. "Why should we? L'Cie aren't welcome at home. Besides, my father doesn't care about me."

"He's still your father." I say.

"It doesn't matter. He's never going to believe in any of this l'Cie stuff." Hope says.

Hearing that just burns my ears. "Don't you dare say that!" Lightning and Hope looks at me like they're shocked. "L'Cie or not. He's still your father! You need to talk to him, cause if you don't, you'll regret it!"

"Patrick you don't know what you're saying." Hope says.

"You don't get it! Your dad needs to know you're now a l'Cie. Even if you don't tell him, he'll find out." My brand suddenly starts to hurt. I weakly collapse on my knees. Earning worried look from Hope. "He has to know, hou can't hide it from him. Or else you'll turn Cie'th...and he'll end up killing you." Now Lightning looks worried, she's surprised to hear me say that.

Just then, my brand starts glowing. The pain starts to hurt even more. "When he does, he'll only suffer eternal pain. He'll have nightmares about it, see illusions." I drop onto my hands, or hand since i'm using my other one to place too my brand, trying to ease the pain, which doesn't work. "..I am not letting you or your father suffer the same fate...LIKE I ONCE DID!"

Lightning and Hope gasps. They understand what I'm talking about: I killed my own father. Even when he failed his Focus and turned Cie'th, it's still shocking to them.

At that note, the l'Cie Brand starts to glows black and the pain overwhelms. I scream in agony as a summoning circle appears right under me.

Just then, a black beam appears right in front of me, past the campfire. Lightning and Hope are surprised to see all of this. A large sphere appears in the middle of the beam, and then explodes revealing some giant biomechanical monster. Omega Weapon.

The explosion of the sphere unleashes a force of wave, which Lightning and Hope tries to resist. I just stand there on my knees, then I look up at Omega Weapon. "What! You think I'm a monster too, don't yea?" I slowly get on my feet. Then I take out my bow. "You want me dead? Well come on! Hit me!"

Lightning and Hope runs by my side and joins me on my eidolon fight. Omega Weapon casts Doom on me. I only have 180 seconds to live. I can feel myself slowly dying upon the spell, I don't know how Lightning and Snow felt when they faced the Shiva Sisters and Odin.

I start shooting at Omega Weapon. Hope shifts into Synergist and blesses us with his enchants. Lightning strikes at the Eidolon with her Sparkstrikes. Omega Weapon attacks us, strikes at me twice, then electric orbs form in its hands and clashes them at me. I can feel the powerful of the electricity coursing through my bow as I'm blessed with Hope's Enthunder.

Omega Weapon casts Gravija at us, a large dome of shadow magic forms all around us and makes us suffer a percentage of our health. Hope and Lightning shifts into Medic and starts healing us. I shift into Saboteur and start casting Deprotect and Deshell at Omega Weapon. I shift back into Commando and continue shooting. Lightning shifts into Commando and attacks as well. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts Thundara at Omega Weapon. Omega Weapon strikes at Lightning with Shadow Slash, then casts Magnitude 8 at us.

We became very weak found the crumbling, rumbling earth right from under our feet. Lightning and Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cura and Cure at us. I shift into Synergist and bless us with Protect and Shell, since the Magnitude 8 broke the spells. Omega Weapon strikes at me, then finishes with Lightning Clash.

I now only have 90 seconds to live. Lightning shifts into Ravager and starts striking at Omega Weapon with Sparkstrike. Omega Weapon casts Gravija. Hope heals us with Cura then shifts into Ravager and attacks with Fira and Blizzard. I shift into Synergist and bless Lightning and Hope with Haste. I don't bother blessing myself with Haste cause I fear that'll speed up my Doom curse. I shift into Commando and cast some Ruin spells at Omega Weapon.

Omega Weapon strikes at me with Shadow Slash. Hope shifts into Medic and restores my health with Cura, then shifts back into Ravager and casts Thundara at Omega Weapon. Lightning shifts into Commando and starts striking at the eidolon. Omega Weapon casts Meteor. He channels for about five seconds and a large comet falls from the sky, hurting us like hell.

I now only have 45 seconds to live. I shift into Saboteur and cast Slow on Omega Weapon again. Lightning shifts into Medic and heals me. Omega Weapon uses Magnitude 8 at us, breaking our defensive spells again. Hope then shifts Medic and heals with Cura on all of us. I shift back into Commando and shoot at Omega. Lightning and Hope shifts into Ravager and casts Thundara at Omega Weapon.

By the time I had 20 seconds left, the Doom spell cancels, and Omega Weapon shifts into Gestalt Mode. Morphing it's body and form, transforming into a helicopter for only it's pilot. After the transforming, Omega Weapon glows brightly and fades into crystal shards, and they all seep into my l'Cie brand. I can feel the power of Omega Weapon flowing through my veins as I absorb him into my l'Cie brand.

After all that, I collapse on my knees in exhaustion. Lightning and Hope are a little worn out as well. I slowly lean my upper body down in front, until my arms are on the ground. Lightning and Hope slowly moves right behind me, until they're at my sides.

"You...you killed...your own father?" Hope asks.

"Patrick..." Lightning puts a hand on my shaking shoulder. "Why would you do such a thing?"

I stay silence for a moment, then I answered muffling in sorrow. "I had no choice." Lightning and Hope doesn't say anything afterwards, even after a minute of silence. I lift my upper body back up until I'm back to a sitting position, looking down at my lap. "I was fourteen...that was when he became a l'Cie." This is news to Lightning and Hope. "I didn't believe him at first, I...I thought he was messing with me. But then...that's when it happened. He...he turned Cie'th."

Lightning and Hope said nothing after that. "He turned into a Cie'th, and attacked me. I...I tried to help him. Bring him back to his senses. I thought I could bring him back...but I couldn't." I slowly reach into one of my packs and take out a dagger. I pull the dagger out of its holster, holding it below me. Lightning and Hope looks down at the dagger, noticing it's stained with dry blood all over it's steel blade. "I didn't know what else to do...I was scared and confused...I...I stabbed him in the heart with this dagger."

My arms begin shaking a little, as I start to lose control of my hands, and it causes me to drop the dagger right in front of me. I turn my hands over so I'm facing at my palms. "I still have the nightmares...about what I've done. I killed him...killed my own flesh and blood. I still have the visions, where I see his blood all over my hands. Fresh and wet. No matter what I've done to wash my hands, they wouldn't leave me." I gulp a little heavily as the sorrow of my tears fills in my mouth.

I hesitate for a moment, then I start to roll up my slave, very slowly. Lightning and Hope are surprised to see scars on my arm. Cut lines. "Overtime I...cut myself with that very dagger. I thought that...if I had to paid for my crimes, it would bring him back. But I was only a fool to this that" I roll my slave back, but I don't remove my hand from the fabric. "...How can I live with myself if I'm nothing but a monster? How can I just live with my life unpunished after what I've done to my own father? That was only the beginning...of my eternal suffering."

We all say nothing for a moment. After about five minutes, I get up and start walking away from Lightning and Hope. Hope notices me leaving, then he tries to stop me.

"Patrick, wait-"

As soon as he touches me, I then quickly shove Hope off of me. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" Hope sits right in behind me, as I turn around and glare at him. I rise my arm in front of me, about to strike the boy. Even through my face shows anger, my eyes shows sorrow and guilt as tears flow out of them. Lightning kneels behind Hope and puts her hands on his shoulders. I just drop my fist and continue walking off.

"Patrick-" Hope reaches for me, put Lightning grabs his hand. Hope looks at Lightning, she looks at him while shocking her head.

"No...leave him be." Lightning says. "Give him some space. He'll cool off."

Hope looks at me, as I sit down facing against a tree, then he looks back at Lightning and nods. Hope and Lightning looks directly at me. As Lightning watches me, our conversion echoes into her head:

_"Lightning, calm down."_

_"Calm down!? How can I calm down?! Serah's gone!"_

_"She's not gone."_

_"Yes she is! She became a l'Cie and now look at her! You don't understand!"_

_"I don't-I don't understand! How can you say that! What makes you think I don't understand how it feels to lose someone you love! From the fate of a l'Cie!"_

Lightning exhales slowly, looking down in guilt. Then she looks back at me and the last thing I've said echoes.

_"You should at least feel happy she turned into crystal."_

"Patrick..." Lightning says in a quiet tone. "...I should have known."

We spent the night sleeping, until dawn arrives. Lightning is fully healed from her injures and Hope is well rested. As for me...I'm still a little on the edge about the little event from last night. We continue down our journey through these woods, only in silence, between me and Lightning and Hope. Lightning and Hope didn't stay in silence, they talked, but to each other. About some things, but those about me, they made sure to do it quietly so I don't over hear them.

By morning, we made it out of the forest, and just upheld is the entrance to Palumpolum.


	9. Palumpolum part I

A/N: What happened in Twilight forest is shocking isn't it? That whole thing is the made up part of my dramatic back ground. Don't get me wrong, I don't care about my father in real life, just like he doesn't care so much for me. I can't stand him. Why the hell does he have to get into a fit of rage every time I try to talk to him? I even question if he's really my father, alone with my mother as well. Now we move on to Palumpolum, This is part I of the story where Lightning and Hope makes their way through the city, where they lose one ally for two more.

Chapter 7: Palumpolum

Sanctum warships arrives at Palumpolum. PSICOM director Yaag Rosch makes an announcement over the town.

"Attention all units! this is Director Rosch, PSICOM division."

PSICOM war machines launches off of the warships and takes flight, patrolling around the city.

"Cocoon is caught in the grip of a Pulse-born terror. If we allow l'Cie activity to continue, panic will rip our world apart."

Some of the warships makes land and the PSICOM soldiers and a large war machine, Ushumgal Subjugator, patrols around the ground land of Palumpolum.

"The peace and stability we have fought so hard to maintain will be nothing but a memory. Pulse l'Cie threaten our very way of life."

Large trucks loaded with weaponry arrives at the city. PSICOM soldiers rushes up to the trucks and each of them grab a gun.

"They must be eliminated. There can be no hesitation. That is all."

Rosch ends his announcement. Afterwards, he turns around. "If we fail, out citizens will pay the price."

Me, Lightning and Hope makes our way through the city, hiding behind some crates and supplies. I give a disgusted look after hearing Rosch's announcement.

"Rosch! That damn man's a fool to think we're nothing but monsters." I say.

Lightning and Hope carefully looks past the large truck they're hiding behind. They are just watching PSICOM and Guardian Corps soldiers in position. When it was clear, I make my way to Lightning and Hope's place.

"We can make it." Hope says. "Get to the station, and board the train for Eden."

"You think it's still running?" Lightning asks.

"Well if it isn't, we'll make it run." Hope says.

"Then punch straight into the heart of the Sanctum? Now you're thinking like a Pulse l'Cie." Lightning says.

"Well this is Operation Nora." Hope tells Lightning. "It's not just Snow I'm after. The Sanctum's got to pay too." Lightning doesn't really say anything. Hope grabs Lightnings hand and gives it a shake. "Hey, you're the one who said we had to fight. Every minute we waste, we're tempting fate."

Lightning just sighs as he puts her hand on her chest, where her brand rests. I put a hand on Hopes shoulder, getting his attention. "Do not forget. I am taking you home too, just like I promised your mother."

Hope nods. "There's some underground tunnels not far from here. I used to play in them when I was a kid. No one uses the entrance anymore, so even the army doesn't know about it." Hope explains. "But I know where it is. We can sneak in under their noses."

Lightning looks down at Hope. "Sounds good."

"Great. Let's go." Hope moves out of the truck and then hides behind some crates.

As I walk past Lightning, I give her a punch on the shoulder. "Kid's rubbing off of yea."

I make my way to Hopes position, Lightning just stands there, taking in what I just said, then joins us. Lightning just watches the Guardian Corps and the PSICOM troops.

"Huh. No more rivalries now." She says. "PSICOM's brought in the Guardian Corps."

I just cross my arms in front of my chest. "Now you're fighting against your own kind. How nice." I say.

Lightning didn't seem to really enjoy hearing that. Hope looks at the troops, thinking. "Okay...there's an old drainage pipe. We can use it to avoid being seen."

I take a look at the drainage pipe up ahead, then at the soldiers in between us and that drainage. "The question is: How are we gonna get there?"

"There's too many soldiers out there. We can't fight them without any of them calling reinforcements." Lightning says. "We'll need a distraction."

"I'm starting to wish Vanille was here." Hope says, remembering the time she used her shadow puppets to hold of those soldiers in the Vile Peaks.

"Commander!" A soldier says, running up to the PSICOM commander.

"Shh, shh. Listen." I whispered.

"What is it, Sergeant?" The commander asks.

"Sir. I've recanted a distress call from the patrol team in the Sunleth Waterscape. They found two l'Cie." Me and Hope are surprised to hear that. "They're on their way to Nautilus."

"Okay." The commander turns around, facing the swat team. "Lieutenant! You and half the swat team report this to Jihl."

The lieutenant salutes. "Yes sir!" The lieutenant and the team makes off.

"Two l'Cie?" Lightning wonders.

Hope looks up at Lightning. "You think it's Sazh and Vanille?"

"Either them or Snow and that other l'Cie that tried to capture me." I say, with a tone that means the answer is pretty obvious. It's Sazh and Vanille.

"What are we gonna do? We can't just let PSICOM capture them." Hope says.

"Well, I don't have time to save their lives. We need to get to Eden, fast." Lightning says.

I stand in silent, crossing my arms and looking down with my eyes close. After a moment of silence, my mind is made up.

"I'll go." Lighting and Hope looks at me with confusion. "I'll go rescue Sazh and Vanille."

"How are you going to get to Nautilus before the army does?" Hope asks.

"I don't know, but I gotta try." I say. I walk up in front of Lightning. "Lightning, you've taken care of Hope this far, can I trust you to take him home?"

Lighting just sighs. "Look, Patrick, I know you've promised to take him home, and I want to do it, but I just-"

"Can you take him home?" I say more powerfully.

Lightning doesn't say anything. She looks at Hope, then back at me with a sigh. "Yes."

I smile and give a single nod, then I look down at Hope. "You're going to be okay, Hope. Take care."

Hope nods. "You too."

"Okay. I'll go and create a distraction. You two stay hidden until the coast is clear."

I make my leave, running back to where we came into the city, grabbing a nearby bullhorn. Lightning and Hope stays low, watching the army. I move behind the wall of the way. I rest my hand on my l'Cie arm, and concentrate. My brand glows and a black arrow crystal forms in the palm of my hand. I hold the crystal right in front of me and look down at it.

"Let's do this."

The toss the crystal in the air. I take out my bow and arrow, aim for the crystal and fires. The crystal shatters and a large glowing light appears. That gets the armies attention.

"What was that?" The commander asks. "Troops, investigate."

The soldiers slowly makes their way direction to Lightning and Hope's hiding spot. Lightning becomes alert while Hope starts to worry.

"What the hell is that Mercenary doing?" Lightning asks, getting a grip on the hilt of her Gunblade.

The army moves closer and closer, making Lightning getting ready to strike. When they're about a foot close to each other, a powerful force of wind blows, along with a roaring sound of helicopter blades. That's when I came in sight of the shores of Palumpolum, on Omega Weapon in it's Gestalt form.

The army are certainly surprised. They draw their attention to me and Omega Weapon. I stick my head out of Omega Weapon, shouting at the army with the bullhorn.

"I AM A L'CIE! HERE TO DESTROY YOU ALL!"

I return into Omega Weapon, commanding it to bring out it's gatling guns and firing at the army. The commander looks at his troops. "Don't just stand there! Kill it!"

The army rushes to the shore, clearing a path for Lightning and Hope. Lightning just watches the whole fight. The army kneels at the edge of the shores and starts shooting at Omega Weapon.

"Is he crazy?" Lightning asks. "He could blow our cover."

"I don't think it matters, look!" Lightning looks ahead, seeing a clear path to the drainage pipe. Without any hesitation, they make their way towards the pipe. I carefully kept my eyes on the two, making sure they got past.

When Lightning and Hope jumps into the pipe, I stop firing, then command Omega Weapon to turn around and fly away.

"It's getting away!" The Sergeant says. "Should we give chase?"

"No!" The Commander says. "I have a feeling it was trying to distract us. Why would it attack us and just leave?"

"What are you suggesting, sir?" The Sergeant asks.

"Search around this area. There's probably more l'Cie crawling around here." The Commander orders.

As I fly away, I look back at the city, then look ahead. "All right, Omega. Let's see how fast you can fly."

Lightning and Hope watches me and Omega Weapon fly off while they're hiding in the pipe. When we're out of sight, they start making their way. "Not the kind of distraction I was hoping for." Lightning says.

"But at least he got their attention." Hope says.

As Lightning and Hope walks through the pipe, Lightning plugs her nose. "Uck. The stench down here stinks."

"Yeah. You get use to it." Hope says. Lightning just looks at Hope with a doubtful expression, Hope notices. "I didn't say it would be easy."

Lightning just gags at the stench. "How far from the end?"

"Not too far." Hope says.

Lightning and Hope makes their way through the pipes. at the end, Hope sticks his head out, he sees two PSICOM troops patrolling around the area, with their backs turned.

Hope looks back at Lightning, nods then gets out. Lightning gets out as well. As soon as she's out, he inhales deeply the fresh air, then she and Hope jumps into the next drainage pipe. Lightning's lucky the next pipe was only seven feet. She and Hope leaves it and runs up the road to the stairs leaving to the entrance of the underground tunnel.

Lightning and Hope runs through the tunnel, until they arrive at the Nutriculture Complex. Lightning gets a view of the large underground area, noticing the large fal'Cie, multiple floating platforms. She also looks back at the tunnel they took to get here.

"Don't worry, it will be fine." Hope tells her. "Only kids like me know about that entrance."

"They'll find it." Lightning says, turning to move forward. "After that little event Patrick did, they'll call in a team and canvass the whole tunnel system."

"Then we better hurry." Lightning nods, agreeing.

Lightning and Hope moves on. "So, where's this thing come out, anyway?"

Hope and Lightning stops on their tracks. "Well, uh...I don't really know for sure."

Lightning pats Hope on the shoulder as she walks past him. "We'll find out today."

Lightning and Hope moves on ahead. At the end of their path, a platform floats close to them. At the right moment, they jump and land on it. The platform takes them to the lower level path ahead. When they're in close range, they jump off the platform and onto the path, then moves on ahead.

On they way, they run into some mechanical flans. The Flanitor and Flanborgs. Lightning strikes at the Flanborgs while Hope stands back, shifts into Synergist and casts Bravery on Lightning and Faith on himself. The Flanborgs strikes at Lightning, Hope shifts into Ravager and casts his offensive spells at them.

Lightning's getting really annoyed the creatures haven't died yet. Of course she realizes something's up when she hears the loud sirens going off from the Flanitor's as they do Rescue (Healing ability) on the wounded Flanborgs. Realizing they're healers, Lightning and Hope switches their attacks to the Flanitor's.

After all that fighting, the Flanitor's fall, and then the Flanborgs fall as well. Lightning and Hope moves on ahead, where they are being greeted by an Armadillon, Lucidon.

Lightning and Hope fights the large creature of course it's hard with it's hard shell. The Armadillon snarls at Lightning and bites her. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cura on her, then shifts back into Ravager and continues attacking the creature.

It takes over a minute, but it finally dies when Lightning impales her weapon through the beasts skull. "These damn things just annoy me."

Hope moves ahead to an open area on their path and looks at the large fal'Cie. Lightning walks up to Hope and stands beside him. "That's the city's food production fal'Cie. Name's Carbuncle." Hope explains. "That's one of our enemies, being Sanctum and all."

Lightning stands with a hand on her hip. "So...kill him and cute off the food supply. That'll make us popular."

Hope turns to look at Lightning. "I think people have enough reason to hate us, don't you?"

"Yeah. You're probably right." Lightning starts to move on ahead on their path. "Hungry people make for angry people."

Lightning and Hope moves on ahead, where they encounter a Flanitor. Lightning just kills the thing in one slash, also silencing it's annoying siren. Lightning and Hope reaches to the end of the path, where they had to jump onto a platform that floats nearby. The platform moves to the path on the upper right side.

When Hope and Lightning are close to that path, they jump off and move on. As they go on, Hope just slows down and faces at Carbuncle.

"Look at us: Pulse l'Cie using a Sanctum fal'Cie to tell where we're going." Hope walks up at the edge facing the fal'Cie. "Sort of strange."

"Not really." Lightning says, looking at the fal'Cie. "We've relied on them our whole lives. The food we eat, the light and water, it's all from the fal'Cie." Lightning stands next to Hope, not even taking her eyes off of the fal'Cie. "You know, I think Cocoon was really built for them. The rest of us, we're just leeches. Parasites."

"You think?" Lightning looks at Hope. "They protect us, nurture us. Take care of, well." Hope looks over his shoulder to look at Lightning. "Normal people. They treat us like we're special, almost like..." Hope claps his hands together getting the idea. "like we're pets!"

Hearing that really surprising Lightning. She just stares at to the fal'Cie, with her eyes widen and her cold expression dropping. "Like pets." Hope just watches Lightning, with some curiosity. "To them, we are just pets. That's it." Lightning clenches her hands into fists. "Now it makes sense. I've...been so blind."

Lightning thinks back of her life, the life she's been living in. "I was born into a fal'Cie world, raised on a fal'Cie leash. It was the only life I knew how to live. When it was taken from me, I was completely lost. Without a master to follow, my life had no other purpose...Hope, listen to me." Lightning turns to face the boy. "This l'Cie curse, it took everything from me. My future. My dreams. I didn't want to think, so I fought instead. As long as I was fighting, nothing else was real." Lightning turns from Hope. "I was running away." Lightning looks down at her hand. "And you, Hope. You got swept along with me."

Hope just looks at Lightning with confusion. "But Lightning. I don't understand."

Lightning looks at Hope, he really doesn't understand. "Operation Nora is over."

Hope is disappointed to hear that. "What?"

"I..." Lightning couldn't find the right words.

"No! You told me to fight!" Hope yells at Lightning.

Lightning looks away from Hope. "I made a mistake!" She admits.

"But...you can't do this." Hope looks down in disappointment. "You can't just building something up like that, then abandon me."

Lightning is concern hearing that. Hope really thinks she's gonna abandon him, just like she tried to back in the Vile Peaks. Lightning puts her hands on the boys shoulders, making him face her.

"I won't abandon you." Lightning tells him. "I won't."

Hope looks up at Lightning, with a sad expression. "You...you did once."

"I know." Lightning gives Hope a gentle stroke on his hair. "It's a mistake I shouldn't have made. I'm not going to abandon you. Not again."

Hope doesn't say anything, just looks down. Lightning can tell he's not convinced. "How...how am I suppose to just forget about all this?"

Lightning sighs, she's not sure what to say. Instead, she moves on. "Let's keep moving."

Hope just follows Lightning, still bummed about what just happened, dropping Operation Nora. Lightning and Hope moves on, but they don't go too far for Hope to just stop on his tracks. "So what do we do now?" Lightning stops, turns around to look at the hopeless boy. Hope walks up to Lightning, holding on to his brand wrist. "We're l'Cie! Ticking time bombs. Enemies of Cocoon. If we can't follow the plan, do we just lay down and die?"

"I didn't mean we should give up." Lightning says.

"Then what battles do we fight?" Hope says, with an upset tone. Lightning's sure not making anything better for the boy. "And against who? Tell me that!"

Lightning just looks away from Hope. "I don't know yet." She answers.

"You don't know yet?" Hope asks.

"That's right. I don't know yet. But I do know we can't lose hope."

Hearing that doesn't make anything better for Hope. "Hope? There is no hope." Hope sits on the stair case, looking down with despair. "Not for l'Cie."

Lightning looks down at Hope. "There's you."

"It's my name. Not who I am." Hope says.

"I was just like you." Hope is surprised to hear that. He looks up at Lightning, seeing her back turned from Hope as she looks at the fal'Cie. "My parents died. I had to be strong for Serah, so I thought I had to forget my past. And I became Lightning. I thought that by changing my name, I could change who I was. I was just a kid." Hope isn't sure what to say hearing all of this. "Lightning: It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys."

Lightning walks up to Hope and sits next to him on the stairs. "Serah tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen."

Lightning starts to imagine Serah right in front of her. "There you are." Lightning watches Serah, but then feels guild hearing the words echo. 'If you really are a l'Cie. It's my job to deal with you' "Typical."

Lightning can feel her heart broke. "I threatened her."

"Come on, slowpoke." The imaginary Serah says.

That's when an image of Snow walks past Lightning and up to Serah. "Sorry. Got held up."

"Where have you been?"

"I'm really late, huh?"

The imaginary Serah and Snow are together now, that's when an image of me appears, walk past Lightning and catches up with Serah and Snow. "Hey! Don't forget me!"

Imaginary Serah and Snow turns to face the image me. "Why would we forget you?" Serah asks.

Lightning just feels terrible. "The only ones who believed her were Patrick...and Snow."

"DON'T SAY IT!" Hope's yelling snaps Lightning back into reality. "Don't say his name." Lightning looks at the boy next to her. "It brings everything back. I keep playing it in my head, what happened to her. And then I see his stupid face and...he's smiling. How can he smile when she's dead?"

Lightning puts a hand on his shoulder, was about to speak to comfort him, but he gets up. "I know! There's nothing I can do about it. I hate knowing that. No matter what happens, she's not coming back." Hope grabs hold of his branded wrist, looking down at it. "When I was fighting, there was no time to think about it. It felt good just to give in. But now...you start talking about hope..."

Hope doesn't say anything. That's when Lightning gets up. She moves close to the boy and gently grabs hold of his wrist. Hope looks up at Lightning. "I'm sorry, I'm messed up."

Lightning shook her head. "No..." Lightning rests her free hand on Hopes wrist, right on his l'Cie brand. "It's my fault."

Lightning and Hope stands frozen in place for a minute, then they move on. Rather then running, they just walk, until they reach the end and they had to jump on a nearby platform. The platform takes them to the path forward, it's not much of a path, just a way to the elevator.

Lightning and Hope jumps off and makes their way to the elevator. Lightning and Hope were about to get on, but Hope just stops. He looks down at his l'Cie brand, then at the elevator, and all the way to the top it goes.

"Talk to your dad." Lightning tells him.

Hope looks at Lightning. "What? Why?"

Lightning works the control screen by the elevator. "Fighting without hope is no way to live." The elevator turns on, lighting a path to the top. "It's just a way to die."

Lightning gets on the elevator. Hope hesitates then gets on. "I want you to find the hope you were named for." Lightning turns to look at the boy. "Staying alive, I can help you with. But I can't...I can't give you hope. If you go to see your father..."

"You think meeting my dad will make anything better?" Hope interrupts. "He's never listened to a word I've said. He's just...he'll never believe in all this l'Cie stuff."

Lightning can understand that feeling, hearing it makes Lightning seeing Hope as Serah. She became a l'Cie, she told Lightning and Lightning didn't believe her. Hope is probably gonna go through the same thing.

The elevator moves up. "Snow believed Serah, didn't he?"

Lightning knows it's true, and it's hard for her to accept it, that Snow became a better person for Serah then she ever was. "Yeah."

"Patrick too?" Hope asks.

Lightning nods. "You should talk to your dad, Hope. Even if you don't. You should go home." Lightning turns from Hope, looking away. "Patrick made sure I'd do it."

Hope doesn't say anything as he and Lightning rides to the surface.

The elevator arrives to the surface and opens up. Lightning has her Gunblade in position, ready to shoot. Yaag Rosch makes an announcement throughout the city.

"In a recently convened emergency conference the Sanctum announced that fugitive l'Cie have been located."

Lightning moves head while Hope stays behind, looking all around him.

"The military plans to apprehend the l'Cie and carry out a public execution."

Hope catches up to Lightning. Lightning stops at her tracks, looking up at the giant news screen on the building.

"These images coming to you live from the scene in Palumpolum."

Lightning can see the screen is looking around the town, until it spots them and closes in on them. Hope starts to worry seeing that.

"Tch, thanks a lot, Patrick." Lightning says under her breath.

Lightning looks up to see hundreds of PSICOM Velocycles and a giant warship flying over them. Lightning then looks around, the Velocycles are coming down and countless PSICOM troops are coming out, heading towards her and Hope.

PSICOM complete surrounds them, from bottom to high level grounds. Rosch watches the whole thing from the warship. "Those are l'Cie. Show them no mercy!" He orders. "They aren't people. They're targets."

Lightning can see how this is gonna end. Hope doesn't know what to do, he just backs up until his back is touching Lightning's.

"Start running." Lightning tells him. Hope worries a little hearing that, he looks over his shoulder to Lightning. "I'll keep them busy.

Hope turns around, facing Lightning from behind. "But..."

Hope doesn't say anything else, but Lightning can tell he's not gonna leave. "You survive."

Hope just backs away, watching Lightning. Nothing else happens until an explosion happens from above. The blast startles Hope. Hope and Lightning looks at the source, to see nothing but smoke.

PSICOM soldiers from the explosion are on the ground, trying to get back on their feet. Snow comes out of the smoke, finishing them off with a few punches. One of them comes at Snow from behind, but Snow kicks him on the stomach. The PSICOM soldier gets knocked back, dropping his gun.

Snow catches the gun and Fang comes out of the smoke. She looks at the army down below. "That's some crowd. Gonna need a plan."

Fang looks at Snow as he holds the gun over his shoulder. "Since when have heroes ever needed plans?"

Snow calls a blue crystal heart in his free hand. He tosses it into the air, then shoots at it. A water sphere appears from the crystals shattering, then all over the ground area, large pumps of water spawns everywhere and quickly freezes into ice.

The Shiva sisters bursts through the center ice, flies into the air.

"Fang." Snow tosses Fang the gun. The sisters falls down past Snow, then he jumps down towards them. Snow and the sisters joins hands together as they fall. The sisters forms into a motorcycle and Snow mounts on it, landing on one of the ice ramps. Fang jumps and lands on the back seat of the Shiva sisters, as they ride down the ice ramp.

PSICOM soldiers starts shooting at them. While Snow's driving the sisters, Fang starts shooting back at them. Hope locks his eyes on Snow and Fang.

"It's him!"

Lightning grabs Hopes hand and starts running, dragging him, and shooting at the army in her way. Snow and Fang takes out the army that's going after Lightning and Hope. Lightning shifts her weapon into a sword and cuts down the last two soldiers in front of her.

Lightning spots to look around, the army is defeated and she looks up to see the warship is retreating. Just then, she senses something coming. At the last second, she sees the Shiva sisters coming at her and ducks just at the nick of time.

Snow parks the Shiva sisters on the ground. He's glad to see Lightning. "Lightning!"

Snow and Fang mounts off of the Shiva sisters. Lightning doesn't say anything, but she does shove Hope to Snow. Hope was caught off guard and stumbles from the shoving. Snow was able to catch him.

"Take care of him." Lightning says, making her leave.

Snow moves Hope aside. "Lightning, listen to me!"

"Get moving!" She orders.

"No, you don't understand! Serah's all right! She'll turn back!"

Lightning stops on her tracks, then looks over her shoulder at Snow. "Take care of Hope."

Lightning runs off. "Wait!"

Fang walks beside Snow. "And then there were three." Fang chuckles and chases after Lightning.

The army all around starts to regain conscious. "They're here! Hold it!"

Snow realizes they're in a red zone. "Gotta go!"

Snow carries Hope and places him on the backseat of the Shiva sisters. Snow gets on the sisters and looks back at Hope. "So how you've been?" Snow grabs the handlebars of the Shiva sisters and then drives off. "Hang on!"

The army tries to surround Snow and Hope, but Snow smashes into them with the Shiva sisters. The soldiers shoots at Snow and Hope. As Snow drives around, Hope falls off. Three PSICOM troops stands in front of him, aiming their guns at him. Snow drives the sisters to the soldiers and rams into them.

"Take cover!" Snow tells Hope. "I got this one!" Hope takes cover and Snow faces at the large army. "Let's do this!"

Snow commands the Shiva sisters to do Wheelie, rushes up at the army leaving a travel of icicles, then does Spinfreeze, spinning around enchanted in ice. Most of the army gets knocked out from the ice attack. Snow commands the Shiva sisters to do Icicle Drift, rush up to the army then does a sharp turn in front of them.

Snow faces the Orion and does Ice Ramp on it, driving towards the machine. When made contact of the machine, a large ice ramp instantly forms on it and Snow drives on it, making a backflip on the motorcycle.

Snow faces the remaining army and commands the Shiva Sisters to do Diamond Dust. "Cool them off!"

The Shiva sisters charges its engine and Snow drives them all around the army, driving around and around until he drives at them, spinning and unleashing a powerful ice storm, leaving a large ice sculpture in it's wake, then it explodes into thousands of ice shards, finishing off the army.

After that, the Shiva sisters turns back to normal. Snow looks back at the sisters, Stiria waves at Snow and Nix blows him a frost kiss, then they vanish.

When it was clear, Hope comes out of hiding and walks up to Snow. Snow turns around to see Hope. "What's up?"

"Here have you been?" Hope asks, with an angry expression.

"I got taken in." Snow says. "It was the Cavalry, not PSICOM."

"Yeah. I heard. Patrick told us." Hope says.

Snow was surprised to here that. "Patrick's here?"

"Not anymore. He left us when we arrived at the city." Hope says.

"O...kay then." Snow turns, looking around. "Anyways, the leader's name is Raines. He said he'd lend us l'Cie a hand. So now," Snow raises a fist in front of him, smiling. "your hero is back!"

Hearing that just makes Hope mad. "Why would the army help us? That doesn't make sense."

"Military's got all kinds. Not all of them like the Sanctum." Snow says. Snow puts a hand on Hopes shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll handle the bad guys. Come on."

Snow and Hope makes their way across the city. They walk up to the ice ground and enters the ice tunnel that leaves to higher ground.

They make it to the higher ground then move on. they run into some PSICOM troops in the way. Snow does all the fight while Hope just stands back and watch. He doesn't bother to help Snow, probably too angry with him or maybe he just wants PSICOM to kill him, make him pay for what he did.

On the way, Snow and Hope switch paths, jumping on the near ice path. The path takes them up at first then goes down. They leave the ice grounds and walk into a hallway. Snow takes out more PSICOM troops in their way. Those far away aims for Snow and shoots at him. Snow shifts into Sentinel and defends himself from the bullets with Steelguard.

The troops stops shooting, noticing it's doing no affect on the l'Cie. Snow shifts back into Commando, rushes at the troops and knocks them out. Snow and Hope moves deeper into the hallway.

"I think we're almost there." Snow says.

Snow and Hope walks down the stairs to the end of the hallway, where they see a massive hole on the side wall, damaged from the ice. Snow and Hope jumps into the lower hallway and starts running.

Snow and Hope stops in the middle of the hallway. Snow looks at Hope. Hope just looks upset, in a mad way, but Snow doesn't bother to notice. "You've changed, haven't you? Seems like you've toughened up."

"I'm a l'Cie. I had too." Hope says.

"The only ones that ought to be fighting the army are us dumb grown-ups." Snow says.

Hope can feel his anger raising. "You think it's stupid to fight?"

"It is if you get killed." Hope just silently scoffs hearing that from Snow. "Anyway, just lay low. Let the dummies duke it out." Snow smiles and winks at Hope. "The army's no match for NORA, right?"

Hope just gets angrier from hearing that. Snow continues down the hallway, while Hope is watching him, holding Lightning's knife behind his back. "He was...he was smiling!"

Hope catches up with Snow and follows them. As they walk, Snow's communicator starts ringing. Snow stops and answers it. "It's me, what's up?"

"You damn well know what's up!" Fang sounds so loud, Snow had to move the communicator from his ear. "Why haven't you called in?!"

"Sorry, slipped my mind." Snow says.

"Right...what's your status?" Fang asks.

"Great, great!" Snow looks back at Hope. "Hope's great too! You doing okay?"

"I'm great, you're great, everybody's great." Fang says, ticked off. Fang walks up to Lightning and hands her the communicator. "Reunion time. Figure out a rendezvous point." Lightning holds the communicator to her ear. "Don't sweat it. That line's hyper-encrypted."

Lightning sighs, Snow heard it on the other line. "Hey sis. Is that you?"

"I'm not your sister." Lightning tells him. "We'll meet at Hope's place. Felix Heights 35-A."

"Right. See ya there." Snow says on the other line. "Tell Fang 'hey'."

"Take care of Hope." Lightning tells him.

"All over it." Snow says. "And I'll tell you more about Serah when we meet up. I found out she can turn back. There's still hope."

Lightning knows she still has to tell him. "Snow. Listen to me. It's about Hope. His mother was..."

Lightning gets cut off hearing Hope's voice on the other line. "Lightning, it's me."

Lightning is surprised. "Hope? Where's Snow?"

Hope doesn't answer her question. "Why did you leave me, Light? You told me you wouldn't abandon me."

Lightning feels her heart sunken hearing that. "I didn't, Hope. We're going to meet up at your place." There's nothing but silence. "Hope, you're going have to tell him...tell him what happened."

"I will, so I've decided..." The communication starts to break. "I have to...Operation..."

Lightning starts to worry. "Hope? Hope! Answer me!"

Fang moves in front of Lightning. "I'm sorry."

"Hope!"

Fang takes the communicator from Lightning. "Yelling doesn't fix it. It's called interference." Lightning just sighs. "You can chitchat when we get there."

"Sorry...I'm just worried about him." Lightning says.

"Well, well. You seem to care for this Hope kid." Fang says with a smirk. Lightning doesn't know if she should feel embarrassed or offended. "I've got point, you fall in behind, and see if you can't cool off that head of yours."

Fang moves on ahead, as she does, Lightning looks down. "Hope..." Then she follows Fang.

Fang and Lightning runs down the Back Alleys. Fang is also a l'Cie, and her roles are Commando, Sentinel and Saboteur. Fang and Lightning didn't travel far to make it to the end of the back ally. Fang moves ahead to keep an eye out for PSICOM while Lightning keeps an eye out from behind.

When Lightning catches up to Fang, she looks at Fang's l'Cie brand. It's white and it's showing that familiar patterned I showed her and Hope back in Twilight Forest.

"Who are you?" Lightning asks.

Fang doesn't answer, not even sure how to answer that question. "Where do I start?" Fang asks.

"How about the part where you tried to capture Snow and Patrick?" Lightning asks.

Fang is surprised to hear that, she turns to look at Lightning. "You knew about that?"

"Yeah. Patrick found me and Hope before we arrived at this city." Lightning says.

"Wait...this Patrick, he that cheeky boy, fedora, carries a bow and arrows?" Lightning nods. "I remember him. He stole my ride."

"Well you did try to capture him." Lightning says with her arms crossed.

Fang just chuckles. "Yeah. I've got a few screws loose, but I'm a l'Cie, same as your and your little friends here and there. Difference being...I wasn't born on Cocoon." Lightning is surprised to hear that. "I'm from Grand Pulse. The 'world below' you all hate so much. My partner and I turned to crystal there and gone to sleep. But when we came around, here we were. The reason Cocoon's in such an uproar is the same reason you're here now...Vanille and I woke up."

"You know Vanille?" Lightning asks.

"Yeah. We grew up together, close friends." Fang explains. "Speaking of which, where is that hunter friend of yours? I've got a bone to pick with him."

"He left us when we arrived." Lightning says.

"Some friend." Fang says.

"Actually, he left us cause we over heard the army are invading Nautilus cause there's two l'Cie heading there." Lightning says. "Patrick and Hope thinks it might be Sazh and Vanille, so he left to go help them."

"Well, he'd better make it. Cause if anything happened to Vanille, I'm pinning it on him." Fang says.

Meanwhile, Snow and Hope are hiding in the allies as the PSICOM flies past their hiding spot on the Velocycles. After the last one passes them, Snow and Hope runs out of the ally, but hides behind some junk as they watch Guardian Corp guards escorting citizens.

Snow just watches the citizens moving. "The Sanctum follows fal'Cie orders. It's not just after l'Cie. They'll target civilians, and Purge everyone who's a threat."

"And more innocents get killed." Hope says.

"You can't take the blame for that." Snow tells Hope.

Hope angrily looks at Snow. "Someone has to!"

"We can still save them." Snow says. "We let loose, and bring the army to us."

Hope is worried hearing that. "Draw their fire?"

"I'm suppose to protect you. But I can't let this happen...It's a tough call, that's for sure. Only one choice I guess. I try to save everyone." Hope just feels angry. Snow's still not getting it, not getting it at all. "So, Hope." Snow stands up. "Are you with me on this? You just need to look out for yourself."

When all of the citizens were escorted, Snow rushes in and takes out the Guardian Corp troops. After taking them out, Snow and Hope moves on, wondering around the city.

Hope just follows Snow, not even bothering to help him out in battle. He's not really watching out for himself, he just hates Snow. After all, Snow took away his mother. You could say he's hoping Snow will get himself hurt.

After minutes of traveling, Snow and Hope enters an ally, and then exits it entering a crowded area that's filled with Palumpolum citizens. Snow isn't too pleased to see all of them out in the open.

"Not good." Snow runs into the crowd, Hope just follows him. He can tell Snow's about to do something incredibly stupid. If I were there, I'd say the same thing and shoot him for doing it.

Snow and Hope approaches at the Guardian Corp trooper in the middle of the crowd. "Is there a problem?" The trooper asks them. "Why don't you just calm-"

Snow punches the trooper in the head, knocking him out. The crowd gasps at the sight of that. Hope is upset to see Snow do that. The crowd starts to back away as Snow reaches for the gun the Guardian Corp was holding.

"I am a Pulse l'Cie!" Snow shouts, as she shoots at the air. "I'm here to kill you all!"

The crowd panics, running away in fear. Hope sure is upset to see all this. All his friends and neighbors running away in terror. Snow stops shooting as soon as the crowd evacuates.

"What are you going?" Hope asks, upset.

Snow tosses the gun aside. "Clearing the area."

Just then, fired bullets starts shooting at the ground. Snow and Hope were startled. That's when three PSICOM aerial snipers swarms in shooting at the open area.

Snow grabs Hope and moves him aside, running off as well. "They'll open fire on a crowd. Doesn't matter who dies. Just wipe them all out!"

The three snipers lands and aims for Snow and Hope. Snow rushes up to them and starts beating them up. Hope watches the whole thing, but then decides to stand and fight after seeing one of the snipes getting out of the fight and aiming his gun at Hope.

Hope casts Aerora at the sniper, blowing him away. The sniper slams against a building and falls unconscious. Snow finishes off the two snipers.

"All right! Not bad." Snow says. Snow looks back at Hope, who's just standing there looking at Snow angrily. "Let's go."

Snow moves on ahead, and Hope just follows him from behind. Snow and Hope arrives at a large ally. Snow finds an abandon jet pack. When Hope arrives, he finds a scared little girl, huddling in terror with her carbuncle stuffed doll.

"Hey." Hope walks up to the girl, but just stops when he notices her whimpering and backing away. "You okay?" The girl just throws her doll at Hope, making him back off.

"Leave her alone!" Someone shouts. Hope looks behind him to notice an army of citizens. Hope is certainly disappointed to see all of them turned against him. While distracted, the girl pushes Hope, causing him to fall on the ground, and she runs for the citizens.

Hope just watches the girl run away. He can't believe that she sees him as some kind of monster. Snow sees the citizens coming at them slowly. "Oh, great." He says with a sigh.

Snow stands in between Snow in the crowd. Just stands there watching them move closer, then snow shows his l'Cie brand as it glows blue. The crowd gasps and freezes in place at the sight of it. Snow looks above him, at the support beams of the sign above him.

Snow shifts into Ravager and channels a Blizzard spell. Snow fires the spell at the beam, causing the giant sign to collapse in between Snow and the crowd, creating a large blockade.

The crowd is both surprised and disappointed to see that. Hope is disappointed to see that as well. Hope walks up to the carbuncle doll the little girl threw at him. He walks up to the blockage, making the crowd worry even more. Hope sets the doll on top of the blockade.

"I'm sorry." Hope tells them.

Snow sees the large PSICOM troops coming from the back of the crowd, then grabs Hope. "Time to go!" Snow grabs on the jet pack and turns it on, taking him and Hope into the air.

The PSICOM troops makes it to the blockade, to see the l'Cie getting away, then starts firing at them. Snow gets to close to the wall and the jet pack smashes against the wall, then Snow kicks himself and Hope away from the wall.

Soon, they were out of range of the shooters. Snow and Hope flies over the building and lands on the road above. Hope had a bit of a bumpy landing. He's on his hands and knees, panting.

Snow walks up to Snow and kneels beside him. "We've got to stay ahead of them. We walk from here." Snow tells him. Snow and Hope walks on the road.

They move to the end of the road, Snow looks ahead while Hope rests up a bit. "Felix Heights is that way, right?" Snow asks. Snow looks down at Hope, who's not answering, then he looks back at the distance. "Still pretty far." Snow reads the sign far ahead. "'A great place for family living'." Snow looks back at Hope. "So they say. Looks like it actually might be, huh?"

"Yeah, well, l'Cie don't have family." Hope says.

Snow turns to Hope. "Listen to me, kid." Snow walks up to Hope. "I'm an orphan, I barely got to know my family." Snow sits right in front of Hope. "But someday, I'm gonna have my own. Once I save Serah, and protect Cocoon."

Hope looks at Snow. "How exactly?"

"That's a good question." Snow says. Snow stands up, turning away from Hope and walking around. "I want to do what's right, but everyone hates l'Cie. Kind of hard to help someone that's trying to kill you. It'll be tough..." Snow turns back to look at Hope. "But everything will work out in the end. As long as we stay together and hold on to hope..."

Hope stands up, facing Snow. "We don't have any!" PSICOM aerial snipers and a few Velocycles starts flying around. One of the Velocycles flies towards the sign and shoots it, which captures Snow and Hopes attentions. "A l'Cie's only hope is a quick death!"

Snow and Hope jumps off the road and lands on the tunnel road below them. Snow and Hope runs down the road, they are greeted by the Aerial Snipers and the Velocycles.

Snow shifts into Commando and starts pounding at PSICOM snipers. Taking them out. The Velocycle rushes through Snow, trying to make him into roadkill. Snow dodge rolls out of the way and one of the Velocycles crashes into the wall, breaking apart. Snow and Hope moves off the road onto the ledge of the building.

They follow the ledge until they arrive on the top of the building. A Velocycle swoops in and starts shooting at Snow and Hope. Snow shifts in to Sentinel, stands in front of Hope and blocks the bullets with his Steelguard.

After shooting, Snow shifts into Ravager and freezes the Vehicle with his Blizzara spell. The PSICOM soldier loses control of his Velocycle and it flies willy-nilly in the skies. After that, Snow and Hope continues on, where they move from the building roof to the airwalk (Like a sidewalk, but it's for walking by on high places.)

Snow and Hope runs into a PSICOM aerial sniper. Snow grabs the sniper get its legs and smashes him against the wall, breaking the jet pack and causing the sniper to fall. Snow and Hope makes it to the end of the air walk and arrives at the rooftop of the Rivera Towers.

When arrived, Hope stops. "I wanted to ask you something."

Snow looks back at Hope. "What's that?"

"You say you want a family." Hope points out. "What if...what if they were taken from you?"

"Well then..." Snow raises a fist in front of him. "I'd take them back."

"And what if you couldn't? What if you knew who was to blame?" Hope asks.

"Well, then there'd be trouble." Snow answers, putting his hands on his hips, with a chuckle. "Hey, are you okay?" Hope looks down, not answering. Snow crosses his arms, getting a good look at Hope. "Did you get hit in the head, or something, or...?" Snow becomes interrupted when a blast of wind blows at him from behind. Snow turns around, resisting the wind, then the Ushumgal Subjugator flies up within sight. "Guess we'll have to walk about this later."

Hope shoves Snow out of the way. "Don't just stand there!"

Hope rushes towards the flying machine with his boomerang out. "Hope! Wait!" Snow says, rushing into the battle.

The Ushumgal Subjugator starts shooting at Snow and Hope. Hope shifts into Synergist and blesses himself and Snow with Protect. Snow attacks the Ushumgal Subjugator, jumping towards it and punching and kicking midair.

The Ushumgal Subjugator does Napalm, firing a ring of five lasers at Snow. Hope blesses himself and Snow with Barfire, then Faith on himself and Bravery on Snow. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cura on himself then Snow. Snow casts Ruin spells on the Ushumgal Subjugator. The Ushumgal Subjugator shoots at Snow and Hope.

Snow shifts into Sentinel and protects himself with Steelguard. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts Thundara and Fira spells at the machine. Snow shifts into Ravager and does some Froststrikes at the Ushumgal Subjugator.

The Ushumgal Subjugator does a Tail Hammer, flipping backwards close to Snow and Hope, knocking them into the air. Snow and Hope falls on the ground and gets back on their feet. The Ushumgal Subjugator uses Napalm on Hope, but the lasers does no harm due to Hope being protected by the Barfire.

Hope casts Aero and Thundara on the machine. Snow shifts into Commando and strikes at the monster. The Ushumgal Subjugator couldn't take it anymore. The flying machine flips and retreats.

"Ah yeah!" Snow cheers. Hope leans forward, his hands on his knees, panting in exhaustion. Snow notices Hope's condition. "If you need to take a break, why don't we do it over there?"

Snow and Hope moves to a resting place on the Rivera Tower. While Hope is leaning against the wall, Snow buys a drink from the vending machine, then offers it to Hope. "Here."

Hope looks up at Snow. "I'm not thirsty." He says, with an upset tone.

Snow pulls the beverage away from Hope. "Oh...kay." Snow walks to the railing of the rooftop. "Well, don't want to waste it." He says as he starts to drink the can.

Hope sighs as he looks down, then he looks ahead. There, he sees his mother viewing the city. Hope is shocked and sad to see a phantom of his mother, then he thinks back to the last time he was here with her, he was a little kid and he was scared and wanted to be with her.

Hope looks down in depression. "I can't..." Hope looks up, directly at Snow. "Snow?" Snow exhales after drinking. He turns around facing Hope, then burped. "What do you plan to do? I need to know."

"I told you, save Serah, protect Cocoon, have myself a big happy family. Still, it's a long road ahead." Snow looks down at the l'Cie brand on his lower arm. "Or, maybe not so long. Whatever happens, things will work themselves out." Snow lowers his arm and looks at Hope. "Even if you're l'Cie, you've got to keep fighting." Snow says, throwing the can at the trash can, a perfect shot.

Hope slowly approaches to Snow. "And what if that gets people around you involved?" Hearing that surprises Snow, as it makes him look back at the night of Lightning's birthday, when she shut out Serah. "What happens if your actions end up ruining someone's life?" Snow starts to stumble backwards, as he thinks back the time when he and I fell from the broken bridge in the Hanging Edge, when I started beating him up and yelling at him, and then left him to rot. (In the game, the flashback is really a vision of his team NORA, which I don't get how it's related to what Hope said) "What if someone dies? what then Snow?" Hope's tone starts to raise in anger.

"I..." Snow doesn't know what to say, as he thinks that to the moment Nora helped him, when she reminded him that moms are tough, and then a vision of the moment she fell to her death.

"How do you pay for what you've done?" Hope asks.

At that moment, Snow turns around, planting his hands on the handle bars of the railing. "I CAN'T!" Snow yells, looking down in shame and guilt. "All right? There's nothing that can make something like that right again. When someone's dead, when someone's gone, words are useless."

Hope is disappointed to hear that. "So that's it? People die and you just run away?"

"I know!" Snow grumbles, slamming his fist on the bar. "It's all my fault. But I don't know how to fix it! Where do you start, what do you say?" Snow slowly looks up. "All I could do is go forward, keep fighting and surviving, until I find the answers I need."

Hearing that, Hope snaps. "There are no answers!" Hope starts burning up in anger, literally burning up. "You're running from what you deserve!"

Snow looks up at the sky. "Well why don't you tell me what I deserve?!" Snow yells.

"THE SAME FATE!" Hope yells, unleashing his wrath of l'Cie magic. Snow turns around, but the moment he does, the blast knocks Snow over the edge, he hangs on to the edge of the rooftop, holding on for his life. The blast gets the warships attention. Hope walks up to Snow, taking out Lightning's knife looking down at him.

"Nora Estheim...She was my mother...and she DIED because of you!" Hope tells Snow.

Hearing that certainly surprised Snow. "You! ...You're the one she meant." Snow realizes.

Admitting that, it changes nothing. Hope raises the dagger above him, ready to kill Snow. Snow looks away, but just then, the warship launches missiles at the tower. Hope was about to strike, but the explosions from behind causes Hope to be blown away, falling forward. Snow looks up to see Hope falling.

"HOPE!" As Hope falls, Snow pushes himself away from the building, he falls towards Hope, grabs the boy and holds him close. Snow braces himself as he and Hope falls.

When they were about to hit the glass roof, Snow braces himself, so he's the first to hit while Hope is shielded. Snow falls through the first glass roof, then the second, but on the third, he just crashes on it and rolls off, he and Hope now falls into an ally, crashing on a pile of crates.

Snow and Hope lays on the floor, unconscious.


	10. Palumpolum part II

A/N: Things are really heating up in Palumpolum, don't you all agree? This is part two of the story, where Snow learns that Hope is the boy he and I promised to protect, now Lightning and Fang are making their way to Hopes place, where Lightning hopes to find Hope safe with his dad.

Chapter 7: Palumpolum

Meanwhile, Fang and Lightning are hiding on the ledge underneath a bridge in the Western Promenade. Fang explains everything to Lightning. "When we came out of crystal stasis, we didn't remember our Focus or what we'd done. All we could do was wander Cocoon, looking for what we'd lost."

[Flashback: Day 5 - Euride Gorge Energy Plant]

Fang and Vanille wonders around the Energy Plant, trying to escape the army. Finally, Fang stops to look back, then Vanille stops to look at Fang.

"Let's give up! Forget our Focus, we don't need it!" Vanille yells at Fang.

"We don't need it?" Fang asks, a bit upset. "Look, if we don't figure it out and pull it off, you're gonna be a Cie'th."

"It's just...make a kid that young a l'Cie?" Vanille asks. "It's not right!"

"Yeah, it's unfair!" Fang admits. "But guess what? We bring and bear it like good l'Cie, or the fal'Cie starts making more. Like that girl the other day." Vanille doesn't say anything. "It doesn't matter what our Focus is. We do it, whether we like it or not."

Vanille doesn't know what to say. "But..."

"Say we call it quits. You think these people will let us go? They'll lynch us in the street." Fang walks up to Vanille, putting her hands on Vanille's shoulders. "Listen, Vanille. We do what we've gotta do and get ourselves off this filthy world, as fast as we can."

Fang escorts Vanille into the elevator. "Fang?"

"You get out of here first. I'll buy you some time." Fang tells Vanille. Fang leaves the elevator, turn looks back at Vanille seeing the sadden expression. "Now, don't you worry. I'll come and find you, no matter where you go."

Fang pushes some buttons on the control panel of the elevator, then smashes her lance on it. Fang shoves Vanille back into the elevator, just flips backwards out of the elevator as the doors are closing.

Vanille gets one last look of Fang as the opening gets smaller and smaller. "Wait! Fang!" Then the elevator closes. "Fang! Please! Don't leave me!"

Fang puts her hand on the closed doors, thinking of Vanille. "You're not gonna end up a Cie'th." Fang starts running away from the elevator, as PSICOM troops starts running in. "You boys coming or not? Your fight's right here!"

[Flashback ends]

"By the time I took care of them all, Vanille was long gone." Fang says. "After that, Raines and his Cavalry found me. I never stopped searching for Vanille, but I couldn't find her...Her, or our Focus."

"So, you're telling me that Serah will come back to life someday, too?" Lightning asks.

"Yep. We didn't do our job right." Fang answers. "That's why it made her a l'Cie." Lightning feels her anger suddenly building hearing that. "We messed up...Sorry."

Lightning walks up in front of Fang, she just looks at her at first, then slaps her in the face. Fang looks at Lightning, after receiving nothing else. "That it?"

"You sure better hope so." Lightning tells Fang. "But whether we're square, that's up to Serah."

"You sound exactly like Snow." Fang says. Lightning just turns away from Fang hearing that, crossing her arms. "And he didn't hit me."

Lightning is surprised to hear that. "Wait...he already knows this?" Lightning turns to face Fang. "Does Patrick know too?"

"Doubt it, since he hijacked my ride and fled instead of being taken in." Fang says. After saying nothing for a while, Fang stands up. "That's a load off. Glad I apologized."

"You apologized so you'd feel better?" Lightning asks.

"Guess so." Fang says.

"Then you should apologize to Patrick too. He cares for Serah just as me and Snow does." Lightning tells her.

"Hmm, I'll keep that in mind. Just hope he doesn't kill me when I tell him. He's got guts, I'll tell yea." Fang says.

"Yeah, well, that's what he's like, being a Mercenary and all." Lightning says.

"A Mercenary. That probably explains why he's hanging with someone he can't stand." Fang says. Lightning doesn't say anything. "How about you? Feel any better now that you hit me?"

Lightning doesn't say anything at first, then sighs. "It didn't change anything."

Fang looks away, gently rubbing her cheek. "Tell that to my jaw."

Lighting walks aside, looking at a certain distance. "Felix Heights is that way. Still a ways before we get to Hope's place."

"Better pick it up." Fang says.

"We'll head through that bridge." Lightning says.

Fang nods. "Right."

Lightning and Fang makes their way to the bridge. they walk through the ledge and climb up the ladder, moving to the surface. The Guardian Corps and a PSICOM trooper spots Fang and Lightning and attacks. Fang jabs her lance through a Guardian Corps. Lightning goes after the PSICOM trooper.

After taking them out, they move on down the streets. The streets are empty of it's citizens. There's only PSICOM troops, Guardian Soldiers and a large Proto-Behemoth.

Fang takes on the Proto-Behemoth, since she has a Sentinel role to defend herself from the beast attacks. Lightning strikes down the PSICOM troops, the Guardian Soldiers attacks her, Lightning barely fought back. Instead, she just shifts into Medic and heals her wounds they landed on her, and then Fang's from the Proto-Behemoth.

After taking out the Proto-Behemoth, Fang cuts down the Guardian Corps. "Better pick up the pace." Fang tells Lightning.

Lightning and Fang arrives at the bridge. "Okay. Let's get Snow on the line."

Fang sits on the stairs of the bridge, trying to make connection with Snow. After a moment of nothing, Fang starts shaking it. "Damn thing's still jammed." Fang closes the communicator. "Eh, he can take care of himself."

"We'll just have to believe that." Lightning says, thinking about Hope.

"Something on your mind?" Fang asks.

"Sort of...it's about Hope." Lightning says.

"Ah, the kid. What's eating yea?" Fang asks.

"On the way here, Hope told me he lost his mother...because of Snow, and now he wants to kill Snow. He even made up 'Operation Nora', named after his mother."

"So the kid's gonna get revenge, eh?" Fang says.

"Yeah. I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen." Lightning says.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have left the kid with Snow." Fang says.

"I had to, it was for his own good. Snow made a promise to take Hope home, and Snow's treating the whole thing like it never happened." Fang doesn't say anything. "I thought leaving Hope under Snow's care would make him realize about the promise he and Patrick made."

"Wait." Fang stands up. "Your little friend also promised to take the kid home and he just left yea? What? Is he also ignoring it like Snow?"

Lightning shook her head. "No, in fact, Patrick's the one who's trying to fulfill it, you should have also seen him before I told him to stay with Snow back in Lake Bresha. He was pretty pissed off with him. Anyways, before he left, he told me to take Hope home."

Fang gives a single chuckle, crossing her arms. "Well, I'd say he made a difficult decision. I doubt he'll be happy to hear you left the kid with Snow."

Lightning doesn't say anything hear that, but after a moment of silence, he speaks. "Hey, Fang...you think the others are going to be safe? If any of us got caught, they'd make an announcement."

Fang sits back down on the stairs. "Yeah they would. They'd have to let everyone know that the big, bad l'Cie can't hurt them no more. These Cocoon people, bunch of cowards and blowhards."

Lightning crosses her arms, walking around hearing that. "'These Cocoon people' have spent centuries under fal'Cie law, in constant fear of a Pulse invasion. If it weren't for Serah, I'd have been out there too. Hunting l'Cie. Would have been nothing but targets to me."

Fang looks up at the sky. "Well, Gran Pulse is just as twisted. 'Cocoon's a floating nest of vipers, ready to strike.' ...Or so I thought." Fang looks down at her lap.

"So, you became a l'Cie to fight the 'vipers'. And destroying the nest is your..." Lightning looks down, puts a hand on her chest. "I mean, our focus now."

Fang stands up. "Until we woke up here, we'd been in crystal stasis." Fang walks up to Lightning, standing next to her. "Which means, we must've completed our first Focus." Fang groans in frustration. "Why can't I remember that part? My childhood's clear as day. But the one thing I need...it's just gone." Fang looks up to the sky. "Blank. Like an empty page...I reach for the memory, and nothing's there." Fang looks back at Lightning. "Then there's my brand. It's all messed up. Vanille and me, we lost our past and our Focus."

"And now, you want to find them?" Lightning asks. "Be a Pulse l'Cie? An enemy of Cocoon?"

"Pulse and Cocoon can rot for all I care. If I don't figure out our Focus soon...Vanille's gonna be a Cie'th." Fang holds her hands together, locking her fingers together. "I'll tear down the sky if it'll save her."

Lightning is speechless from Fangs words. Just then, the Guardian Corps starts rushing in towards Fang and Lightning. Fang and Lightning takes out their weapons and strikes at the soldiers. Lightning barely made an attack on them, she only killed one while Fang handles the rest.

Lightning looks ahead. "We cut through the passage up ahead, and we'll be in the residential district."

"Right." Fang says, moving ahead, with Lightning following her.

Fang and Lightning takes the passage up ahead, in there, they're greeted by two Orion's. Lightning and Fang takes them on, Lightning handles one and Fang handles the other. The Orion's strikes the warrior girls, Lightning cast her Ruin spells on her Orion, then shoots it with her Gunblade.

Fang jabs her lance through the Orion, finishing it. After the battle, the girls moved on. They take the stair pathway into an ally, that's when Fang stops.

"Hey, Lightning."

"Call me Light." Lightning tells Fang.

"Did you see Vanille's brand?" Fang asks.

"No." Lightning answers.

"No, huh?" Fang says in disappointment. "Want to know how long until it's Cie'th city?" Fang turns to look at Lightning. "Just look at your brand." Lightning just exhales hearing that, then turns away from Fang. "You start getting more arrows, and then finally an eye. Once it opens all the way, you're done."

Fang moves in front of Lightning. "Let's have a look..." Fang grabs the zipper on Lightning's sweater vest and pulls it down. "Don't be shy...Nowhere near. You got time." Lightning zippers her sweater vest back up, and Fang backs up. "Still, you never know. Some people, doesn't take so long. You get a nasty shock, it can speed up the process."

Lightning wonders what Fang meant by that. Does it mean that feeling you get when you're forced to summon an eidolon. "Vanille's brand must be pretty far along by now." Fang says. "I've got to save her and get her home."

"To Pulse you mean." Lightning says.

"To Gran Pulse." Fang corrects. "I hear that the Sanctum prevents people from leaving Cocoon...I'd like to see them try and stop me."

"So, that's your plan?" Lightning asks. "I wish I had one. Without Serah, without a future, there's nothing to plan for. There's no way out of this mess, and no way to fight it." Fang leans against the wall. "I'm stuck trading blows with the Sanctum, but there's no plan. Even if we topple the government, where's that leave us? With nothing to fight for? ...I might as well be dead."

"Your sister." Hearing that gets Lightnings attention to Fang. "You've got plenty to fight for. Think about it. Don't you want to see Serah, after she wakes up?" Lightning's a bit surprised to hear that. "That's your future right there. All you've gotta do is survive. It's simple."

"Right..." Lightning and Fang looks up when they hear a deep rumble, they notice an elite force of Velocycles soaring above them. "Snow! They've found them!"

Lightning and Fang moves on ahead, hurrying on to Felix Heights. Meanwhile, Snow lays unconscious in the ally he and Hope feel into. He suddenly wakes up. He tries to sit up, then his grips at his stomach, groaning in agony. The fall was pretty rough for him.

When Snow sits up, he looks behind him to find the unconscious Hope. Snow cannot believe that all this time, Hope is the one he promised to protect. The one who Nora asked me and Snow to take home.

Snow crawls painfully to Hope. He makes it to Hope and shakes his shoulder. "Hope. Hey, Hope!" Snow makes Hope roll onto his back, Snow can see he's still alive, but knocked out.

Snow grabs onto Hope, carrying him and laying him over his back, then Snow tries to stand up. When he does, he grunts in pain and falls back onto his knees, gripping on his stomach. He's in pain from the fall, and if I was there, I'd finish the job, and I'm pretty sure Hope would do the same if he was awake.

Snow looks on the floor, to his surprise, he sees a knife. Not just anything, he recognizes that it's Lightning's survival knife, that he and Serah gave to Lightning for her birthday.

Snow grabs on the knife and holds it in front of it. He still couldn't believe his eyes. Then he looks over his shoulder at Hope. Snow wonders, of all the reasons in the universe, why would Lightning give someone like Hope something that important?

Snow decided to put that aside. He sets the knife back into it's hilt and puts the knife in his pocket, then Snow attempts to stand up again. When he finally stands, he grabs onto Hope, making sure he doesn't fall off of his back, and then Snow limps off.

Snow finds a ladder on a wall and starts climbing it, he has a rough time climbing up with being in pain and having to carry Hope. It takes a while, but Snow finally makes it to the top, arriving at Felix Heights.

Snow climbs up on the ground, only he collapses on the floor, dropping Hope as well. Snow lays on the floor for a moment, to catch his breath. Then he turns his head to look at Hope.

Snow gets on his hands and knees, then holds onto Hope. Snow lifts Hope, laying the boy on his back. He tries to get up again, but fails, then a soft explosion happens.

"That must be Light." Snow thinks. Snow looks at Hope to see he's waking up. "Hey."

Hope is startled to see Snow. Hope even sits up. "Why's you save me?"

Snow looks ahead. "I was asked to keep you save. By Lightning..." Snow looks down in shame and regret. "And by Nora." Hope is surprised to hear that name. "I'm sorry...what happened, it was my fault...I put her in danger. I know that...Let me make things right."

"You told me before that you couldn't." Hope says, calmly. By calmly, I am as calm as he could be compared to how he talks to Snow in anger.

"And that words were useless and a lot of other things I shouldn't have said." Snow admits. Hope starts to feel regret. "Look, I don't know what to do, didn't know how to set things straight. So I didn't. I thought if I couldn't make up for it, then all the apologies in the world wouldn't mean a thing. So I decided I had to find a way to pay for it first, before I'd even have the right to say sorry."

Snow looks back at Hope. "But, it's like you said, I was only using that as an excuse so I could run away from my own guilt." Snow slowly stands on his feet. "That hit home." Snow finally stands up. "Look, Hope...I know what happened was my fault. I don't deny it, and I am sorry." Snow takes out the knife and holds it out to Hope. "Here." Hope's pretty surprised to see the knife. "That's Light's, isn't it?"

Hope takes the knife, looking at it. "I...why'd you...?"

Snow begins walking. "That knife was a present from Serah." Hope pulls the blade out of the hilt. "To keep her safe." Hope looks down at Snow, holding on to the knife. "She trusted you with something that important. You should be the one to carry it."

Hope now feels ashamed. Lightning trusted him with something that important and he was about to use it for revenge. _What have I done?_ Hope thinks.

"I'll find a way to make things better. Just give me time." Snow walks down the stairs and enters an open area of Felix Heights. "If nothing I do is good enough, then I'll take any punishment you want to dish out."

"She's gone, Snow." Snow stops when he hears that. Hope's expression drops into sorrow. "You can take the blame...but it won't bring her back."

Snow looks down in sorrow as well. "I'm sorry."

"I knew it all along." Hope looks up. "Knew it but...I had to blame someone...I had to." Hope looks back down, and sets the blade back into the hilt. Hope tries hard to hold in his tears. "I needed a reason...to keep on fighting."

"It wasn't someone's fault. It was mine." Snow reminds Hope. "Take it out on me." Snow moves forward. "And keep yourself alive until you do."

Just then, Snow staggers and collapses, falling forward and dropping Hope. Snow lays on the ground, then crawls ahead to the wall. "I...have to...keep going!"

Snow grabs onto a pillar and pulls himself up, into a standing position. Snow turns from the pillar, leaning against it, then looks at Hope. "Well, look at that. You don't even need any help." Hope isn't sure how to feel about that, really. "You're all right. That's good to see." Snow pants a little. "Just let me...catch my breath."

After a moment, something seems to catch Snow's attention and he gets serious. Hope turns around and sees it too, from the distance, the Ushumgal Subjugator returns. It swoops in, shifts into ground assault mode and lands in the middle of the area.

"Hope!" Snow rushes up to the machine. "Get back! I got this one!"

The Ushumgal Subjugator strikes at Snow, knocking him back and crashing at the wall. "Snow!" Snow falls unconscious from the impact. "Always the hero...you want to die?" Hope stands up, pocketing Lightning's knife. "You can't..." Hope walks up to the machine, taking out his boomerang. "I won't let you!"

Hope now stands against the Ushumgal Subjugator, facing the war machine alone. Hope strikes at the machine with his Thunder spells. The Ushumgal Subjugator attacks Hope with laser rains, firing lasers in the air and they all blast at the boy from above.

The fight goes on for about a minute, Hope was about to give up in exhaustion, but that's when Fang and Lightning shows up. "Not bad kid." Fang says.

Lightning looks at Hope. "Where's Snow?"

"He's okay." Hope tells Lightning.

Fang takes out her lance. "Sure you're up to this?"

Lightning takes out her Gunblade. "Thing will never know what hit it!"

Lightning and Fang strikes at the Ushumgal Subjugator. Hope shifts into Synergist and casts protect on himself and Lightning and Fang.

The Ushumgal Subjugator does Laser Rain, launching half a dozen of lasers in the air, hitting everyone in the battle. Hope casts Bravery on Lightning and Fang and then casts Faith on himself. Hope and Lightning shifts into Ravager, and Hope cast his Thunder spells and Lightning does Sparkstrike.

The Ushumgal Subjugator focuses on a target, it selects Hope, and repeatly does Pinpoint Beam on him. Fang cast Ruin on the war machine repeatly. The Ushumgal Subjugator does Laser Rain.

Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cura on himself and Lightning and Fang. Fang shifts into Saboteur and casts Slow then Deprotect on the Ushumgal Subjugator. Lightning shifts into Commando then strikes at the machine.

The Ushumgal Subjugator moves it's ring in front of it, aiming it at the group, then begins charging. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts Thundara at it. Fang shifts into Sentinel, just as the machine is about to strike, Fang does Wide Guard (If this was in the game, it would be just like the other Sentinel guard abilities, only this one's extra ability would be to grant the rest of the party members 50% of the damage reduce the caster gets.)

The Ushumgal Subjugator unleashes Photon Blast, blasting a large beam right at everyone in front of it.

Lightning shifts into Medic and casts Cure on herself then Hope. Fang shifts back into Commando and then strikes at the machine. Lightning shifts back into Commando and strikes at the Ushumgal Subjugator.

The machine finally falls, it becomes static and staggers around, until it collapses and shuts down.

Everyone stands at their place, catching their breath. Hope walks up to Lightning as she turns to face the boy. He hands Lightning her knife, returning it to her, and Lightning accepts it.

"Um, Operation Nora...didn't work out." Hope tells her.

Lightning feels bad for Hope, after all he's been put through today. But she also feels happy he cancelled his little operation. Still, her expression is sorrow and regret.

Without hesitation, Lightning wraps her arms around the boy, holding him close to her. "You'll be okay. I'll keep you safe." She tells him.

"Lightning..." Hope isn't sure what to say at the moment, he's surprised that Lightning is hugging him, telling him that she'll keep him safe. He would never expect Lightning to go that soft. "I...me too. I mean at least I'll try...I'll try to watch out for you too."

Lightning ends her hug, she looks at Hope, with her hands still on his shoulders. She softly sighs and then flicks the boy on the forehead, then they both laugh a little.

"Don't forget about this one." Fang tells them.

Lightning and Hope turns to see Fang kneeling beside the unconscious Snow. Fang tells to get Snow on his feet, then Lightning walks to them to lend Fang a hand.

"That one will be all right." Lightning says. Lightning gets Snow on his feet, with Fangs help. "He's too stubborn to die."

Lightning and Fang carries Snow as they follow Hope to his house. In no time, they finally arrive at the Estheim Residence.

Hope stands in front of the front door of his house. He's afraid of what's gonna happen when his dad finds out everything that's happened to him and Nora.

Hope takes a deep breath and rings the doorbell. As soon as he did, Bartholomew answers, the door slides open and he rushes out.

"Hope!" Bartholomew is glad to see his son is all right, but he's also both surprised and confused. Surprised to see Nora's not with him, but instead, he's with three strangers, even though one of them is wearing a Guardian Corps uniform.

"Mom's gone." Hope tells him.

Bartholomew is shocked to hear the news. Afterwards, he lets everyone in. Hope talks to his dad while Lightning and Fang are taking care of Snow.

Snow is currently resting in the guest room. Hope tries to explain the l'Cie thing, but he couldn't, since his dad is depressed of the loss of his wife.

"Dad...I, uh...I know..." Hope isn't sure what to say really, all his dad is doing is sitting the couch, crying about Nora. Hope stands up. "I'll be in my room."

Hope leaves his dad alone and went into his room.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning walks down the hallway, thinking and wondering. Lightning stops at her tracks when something caught her attention. She moves back and looks into Hope's room. She notices him sitting on his bed, looking down at a picture frame in his hands. His expression seems a little depressed. Lightning is a little surprised to see Hope in his room, she thought he was talking to his dad.

Lightning walks inside and up to Hope. "Hey." Hope looks up at Lightning. He jumped a little, probably didn't even noticed Lightning was coming in. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah." Hope says, looking back down at the picture. "How's Snow doing?"

"The usual." Lightning answers. Lightning sits next to Hope on his bed. She looks down at the picture he's holding. It's him and his mother. The background seems to be some kind of garden. Lightning puts the pieces together, the expression on Hopes face and the picture.

"Is that your mother?" Lightning asks. Hope just nods slowly. Lightning quietly sighs and puts a hand on Hopes shoulder. "You miss her, don't you?"

"I do." Hope admits. Hope just looks down at his lap, closing his eyes. He doesn't say anything else.

"It's okay to miss someone you love, especially your parents." Lightning says.

Hope looks up at Lightning. "I thought it wasn't."

Lightning just shook her head. "It is, Hope. There are times when I still miss my parents, and Serah of course."

"Oh..." Hope looks back down at the picture. "I can't believe...what I've done." Lightning looks a little confused. "I was about to get revenge on Snow, my mom died cause of him. When all this time...he remember what he promised to my mom."

"Well, I think your mom would be proud that you cancelled 'Operation Nora'" Lightning tells him.

"I know. I feel like a fool." Hope says. "It's just...I started the whole operation cause...Patrick told me everything about the promise he and Snow made to my mom, and all this time, Patrick's been trying to fulfill it while Snow...he just treated it like nothing ever happened." Lightning quietly sighs, she understands what he means, knowing Snow very well. Hopes eyes are starting to fill with tears, but he tries to hold them back. "I just...I feel so weak."

"Why's that?" Lightning asks, curiously.

"I just...I want to be strong, Light. But…I just miss my mom so much. She's gone and she's never coming back...I just hate it. I hate it so much...it just makes me sad." Hope hugs the picture close to his chest, into his arms. "I'm sorry for being weak, crying over my mom dying. You're right...I'm just a...a liability."

"No." Lightning says in a gentle quiet tone. "Come here." Lighting pulls Hope closer to her, wrapping her arms around his shaking shoulders. "Sorrow isn't a weakness, Hope. It's normal to be sad, even when it's about someone you love and care." Hope moves his head to Lightnings chest. Lightning gently moves her hand to Hopes head, gently brushing his silver hair. "It's okay to cry. Crying doesn't make you weak. I'm sorry I called you a liability. You're not weak, Hope. You are strong. You've made it this far since the Purge, that proves how strong you are. Never forget it."

When Lightning was done, Hope lets the tears flow right out of his eyes. He lays the picture on the sheets of his bed then wraps his arms around Lightning's waist. "I need you, Light."

"I know." Lightning whispers, gently rocking Hope.

Hope cries for a brief moment then speaks. "I-I should have...listened to you. I'm sorry, Light...Please...please don't leave me."

"Hush. It's okay. It's all right...I'm not going anywhere." Lightning whispers.

"It hurts so much, Light." Hope says in a sorrow tone. Lightning can feel her own tears escaping from her eyes hearing that. "I just wish she would come back."

"I know it does, Hope. But it'll get better. Everything's gonna be okay." Lightning slowly removes one of her arms from Hope, and grabs hold of Hopes hand, locking their fingers together. "I promise."

Lightning and Hope stays in position for a while. After a couple of minutes, Lightning clears her throat and disbands the hug. "I'm, uh...I should go check on Snow."

Lightning gets up and makes her way out of Hope's room. Hope just watches Lightning leaves, soon after she was out of sight, he returns his attention to the picture on his bed. Lightning is right in front of Snow's door, but just when she's about to enter, she turns her attention to the living room. She sees Bartholomew just sitting on the couch, with a golden necklace with a rhombus shaped sapphire pendant on it.

Lightning wonders if that necklace is really his, to her, most men aren't really known for wearing jewelry. That's what she once thought about me when she noticed my diamond heart shaped necklace, then ignored the facts when she heard it's my mothers and the reason why I wear it.

Lightning walks up to Bartholomew and sits right next to him in silence. Bartholomew knew Lightning is there, but didn't bother to look at her or anything. "Is that Nora's?"

"Yes. It was an anniversary gift, from ten years ago." Bartholomew says. Lightning and Bartholomew doesn't say anything, then he looks at Lightning. "Ms...Farron was it?"

Lightning nods. "Call me Lightning."

"Thanks for taking care of Hope." Bartholomew says.

"You shouldn't thank me. You should be thanking Snow." Lightning says.

Bartholomew hands Lightning the necklace. "Can you give it to Hope?"

"Can't you? You are his dad." Lightning says.

"I know, but we're not real close. Hope has grown a real fond with you." Bartholomew says. "If anyone should give this to Hope from his mother, it should be you."

Lightning nods, understanding. Lightning takes the necklace. "I'll be sure to give it to him." Lightning looks down at the necklace as it rests in her palms. "He's in his room...you should talk to him."

Bartholomew knows Lightning's right. With that, he gets up and makes his way to Hope's room. Lightning puts the necklace in her leather pouch and now goes and check on Snow.

* * *

Lightning enters the guest room where she finds Snow still asleep on the bed, and Fang just hanging around. Snow is currently shirtless and trench coat-less, with his stomach bandaged and one layer of the bandage over his shoulder.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Lightning tells Fang.

Fang nods and makes her leave. Lightning just hangs, leaning against the wall. While waiting for Snow to awake, she turns on the screen, watching the news.

"Now for an update on the situation in Palumpolum. The l'Cie continue their desperate flight and the military as now launched an all out campaign to eliminate them. In the event you must leave your home, please follow these instructions broadcast on this channel."

The next few news became uninteresting to Lightning. During that time, she takes out her knife. She starts to jiggle with the knife. Slowly pulling it in and out of its hilt.

Just then, the next set of news captures Lightnings attention.

"The military are not sure of the location of one of the l'Cie that had arrived at the city."

Then the news shows a video of that moment when I come out of hiding riding on Omega Weapon in its gestalt form.

"I'M A L'CIE! HERE TO DESTROY YOU ALL!"

Lightning sighs at the sight of that. She still thinks that was a bad idea for a distraction.

"Rough twenty-five hundred civilians believed to have some contact with the l'Cie are now being held quarantined by the Sanctum. Our latest insta-poll has shown a vast majority in favor of the immediate Purging of these individuals."

Lightning decided to turn off the screen. After that, Snow starts to wake Up. Snow is moaning, trying to sit up.

"Hey." Lightning says. Lightning can see Snow's still in pain from the attack. "Lay down."

Snow is surprised at the scene change. Last thing he remembers is facing that Ushumgal Subjugator, and then it was lights out. Now he's in a strange room with his soon-to-be sister-in-law.

"All right." Snow says, laying back down.

Lightning walks up and sits down on the chair next to the bed. Snow looks at Lightning, he sees the knife in her hand.

"Huh, I see you took the kid's toy away." Snow says.

"Ah...he gave it back to me." Lightning says. "Said he didn't need it anymore."

Snow wondered what Hope meant by that. Could he mean he didn't want to kill Snow anymore?

"Go figure." Snow says, looking at the ceiling.

"It was too much...What happened to Serah." Snow looks at Lightning hearing that. "All I could think about was, 'What could I have done?' ...I hated myself for not trusting her." Lightning holds the knife in front of her, looking down at it. "It hurt too much. I couldn't face it." Lightning holds the sealed knife close to her, and closes her eyes. After that, she pockets the knife and looks at Snow. "How did you and Patrick handle it?"

"Well...I was surprised at first, I couldn't believe Serah became a l'Cie." Snow explains. "As for Patrick...I'm not sure."

Lightning and Snow doesn't say anything for a moment, then Lightning decided to speak. "Look, Snow. I..." Lightning isn't sure how to say it. She's not really good with apologizes, mainly when it's about something she regrets. Then she looks at Snow right in the eye. "I'm sorry...Forgive me."

"For what?" Snow asks.

Lightning stands up, turning away. "Everything."

Snow sits up. "If you told me your real name, I suppose I could."

Lightning looks at Snow and gives a soft chuckle hearing that. "Have Serah tell you...when she comes back."

Snow looks back at the ceiling. "Deal." After a moment, he looks back at Lightning. "So Hope...he was the one...That we promised to take home?"

Lightning nods. "Yeah."

"Does Patrick know?" Snow asks.

"He does know." Lightning tells him. "He pretty much knew all along. He even told me about the promise back in Lake Bresha, of course I had it find out it was Hope on my own." Snow is a bit confused hearing that. "We were interrupted before he could finish, and then I made him stay with you." Lightning looks away saying that. "I wish I didn't make him stay."

"Why didn't he tell me?" Snow asked.

Lightning looks at Snow, part of it is showing either irritation or just a glare. "He tried too, he told me you wouldn't listen."

"When did he try too..." Snow suddenly remembers something. Our little conversation back in Lake Bresha, long after Lightning and the others left me and Snow behind, well mostly Snow, I was more forced to stay behind with him. "Oh..."

"Yeah." Lightning says. "He was pretty ticked off. You should have seen him before I made him stay behind with you, and back in Twilight Forest."

"Well, I guess I'm gonna have to make it up to him somehow." Snow says.

Lightning wonders what he could have meant. But remember what I told and showed her back in Twilight Forest, it could be only one other thing.

"You mean those 'Big Sisters Complex' magazines?" Lightning asks, with a disapproval in her tone.

"Yeah..." Snow says with curiosity and nervousness.

"Snow, you do realize he hates those things?" Lightning asks.

Snow was about to ask why she would think that, but then figures why I said to it her, all because she's a girl and I was only pretend to hate it just so she wouldn't get all upset about it or something like that.

"Oh, that? I think he was only making that up. Just so you wouldn't get upset about him." Snow says.

"Oh yeah?" Lightning says, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "When you two were alone, with no other people, even girls, around, when you gave him those magazines, did he ever say he appreciates them or anything?"

Snow tries hard to think back. He really can't name one time I ever said anything like that. Instead, I just put on that little 'act' for every single one of them.

After a minute of silence, Lightning speaks. "Exactly. Snow, he's not faking it. He really does hate them. You are just ignoring how he really feels about them and are just giving them to him like you think he really wants them." Lightning says that, remembering what I told her back in Twilight Forest about Immediate Judgment. "You are treating him with this 'Immediate Judgment' and he hates you for that."

Hearing that, Snow lays back in bed, his hands covering his face and sighing heavily. "How could I have been so stupid? I should have known he was telling the truth." Lightning doesn't say anything. "Patrick's right. I am just a...a doofus."

Snow rolls onto his side, facing away from Lightning. "Who am I kidding? I'm no hero." Lightning is caught by surprise to hear that. "I just treat my friend terribly. I couldn't save Serah, I couldn't help anyone without messing up...I couldn't even keep my promise to Nora. And because of me, Patrick...He...He couldn't keep his promise to Hope." Snow takes out the crystal tear Serah gave him, he looks at it for only about ten seconds. "I don't even deserve this."

Snow tosses the crystal tear over him. The crystal tear lands right in front of Lightning's feet. Lightning bends down, reaching for the tear, and then picks it up. Lightning looks at it as she stands, then she walks to the other side of the bed, so she could face Snow.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Snow." Lightning tells him. "But that doesn't mean you can't call yourself a 'hero' just by making them."

"I'm no hero. Just like you and Patrick said. I can't keep anyone safe." Snow says.

Lightning shook her head. "No. You kept Hope safe." Lightning says. "He told me everything that happened. Hope could have died from that fall, but you took the fall for him." Snow takes a moment to take in Lightning words, then stops when Lightning holds the tear in front of Snow. "Serah gave you this for a reason, and I think you know what it is."

Snow slowly takes the crystal. "I think you're right." Snow sits up, then looks up at Lightning. "I'll make things better. I don't know how, but I will."

Lightning smiles a little then nods. "I think you can start with Patrick. You're going have to talk to him."

Snow nods, he knows that's true. Lightning looks ahead at the door, Snow looks as well to see what Lightning's looking at. By the door is Hope, looking at Lightning and Snow.

"My dad said he'd like to see you guys. He wants to talk." Lightning nods, and Snow gets out of bed. Snow puts on his trench coat, and then everyone gathers in the living room.

Everyone was silent. For Bartholomew, Hope and Snow, it's about Nora. Snow stands up and then gets on his hands and knees on the floor. "The blame is mine. I couldn't save her."

Bartholomew is speechless. "If it wasn't for Snow, I wouldn't be here right now."

Bartholomew looks at Snow. "Snow...did Nora...Did she say anything to you?"

"Hope. She said to...to get him home." Snow says.

Bartholomew looks at Hope, who nods, then back at Snow. "He wasn't the only one who she asked." Lightning says. Bartholomew looks at Lightning. "There was Patrick too."

"Who is he?" Bartholomew asks.

"He's a friend of ours." Hope says. "Well...A friend to me, Lightning and Fang. He just hates Snow."

Fang raises her hand. "Actually, I wouldn't say he's a friend of mine, given to the fact I tried to take him in when we first met."

Bartholomew looks a little confused hearing that. "It's my fault. He promised Hope he would keep Nora safe...But he couldn't."

"Then he tried to make it up by taking me home." Hope says.

Bartholomew says nothing at first, then he looks at Snow. "And that's exactly what you've done."

Everyone exchange expressions. "Face to face like this, it's hard to believe you're all dangerous fugitives." Bartholomew says. "But the entire world is scared to death of you l'Cie...Even since that one l'Cie admitted he was here to destroy us."

"That was Patrick." Lightning says. "And he was only doing that to distract the army, so me and Hope could sneak in." Lightning crosses her arms. "Wasn't really a bright idea if you ask me."

"Where is he now?" Bartholomew asks.

"He left for Nautilus to help the others." Hope says.

"The other l'Cie fugitives?" Hope nods. "No, not just you the world is scared of. People who've helped you, bumped into you Sometimes it's even just people who've walked by one of you. They think they're 'tainted' and want every one of them Purged."

"The Sanctum's a puppet of the fal'Cie!" Snow shouts. "To them, our lives don't mean anything at all." Bartholomew doesn't say anything after hearing Snow's words. "We'll stop this. Take down the Sanctum, and save Cocoon."

"You've thought that through?" Bartholomew asks Snow. Snow softens as he gives a second thought. "If l'Cie take down the Sanctum, fear of Pulse will only get worse. It won't stop at fear. People will take up arms and stand against you. Can you imagine it? The rampant violence?"

"When the government's control is gone, the citizens will revolt." Lightning adds.

Fang stands up. "So what then? We're suppose to just smile and eat a bullet? That means you, too." Fang tells Bartholomew.

"I know I'm part of this." Bartholomew says. "I'm on your side of the fence. Harborer of l'Cie and a public enemy."

"Coming here was a bad idea." Hope admits.

Bartholomew puts a hand on Hopes shoulder, and Hope looks at his dad. "This is your home." Bartholomew tells him. Hope smiles hearing that. "We're all here. Let's figure this out together."

"Right...So, what's our next move?" Snow asks.

"For one thing, we should find the others." Lightning suggests. "We can only hope that Patrick saved them from the army."

Everyone expect Bartholomew nods. "We'll rest up here, then we'll leave before dawn." Hope suggests.

"One of us should stay up to keep watch for the army." Fang says.

Bartholomew stands up. "I'll keep watch. You all deserve some rest. Besides, I don't think I can sleep tonight after learning what's happened."

Everyone agrees with Bartholomew, and they all departed ways.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Everyone rests up for the night. Snow takes the guest room and Fang settles for the couch in the living room. Leaving Lightning wondering where to rest. She can take the floor, it's no problem to her.

Lightning walks down the hallway, making her way to the living room, when Hope comes out of his room. "Light." Lightning turns and turns to look at Hope. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to find a place to sleep." Lightning says. "Snow has the guest room and Fang is taking over the couch."

"Um..." Hope looks down a little, then back at Lightning. "You can...sleep in my room...if you want."

Lightning smiles and accepts the boys offer. Hope goes to his bed, he was about to lay down, but stops when he sees Lightning's just gonna lay on the floor.

"Oh. You don't have to take the floor." Lightning looks at Hope hearing that. "Here." Hope sits up. "Take my bed."

Hope was about to get off the bed, but stops when he sees Lightning shaking her head. "No. I'm fine with the floor. Besides, this is your room."

"No, I insist. You've been working so hard. I don't mind taking the floor." Hope says.

Lightning can tell she's not gonna talk Hope out of this one. Hope's a stubborn boy all right. Back in the Vile Peaks, he wants to follow her but she didn't want to take him. Earlier today, she wants to cancel Operation Nora, but he wouldn't accept it.

Lightning only has one other option. "Well, I guess we could share the bed."

Hope blushes hearing that. He's a little boy, and sharing a bed with an older women, that's a bit out of reach. "O-okay." Hope nervously says.

Lightning gets up from the floor, she sits on the side of Hopes bed, and removes her boots and pauldron. Hope feels nervous seeing her undress, but calms down as soon as he sees it was just the boots and pauldron. Lightning lays right next to Hope, in between him and the wall.

When they're laying down, Hope reaches for the cover and lays it over them.

Hope lays on his side, facing away from Lightning. He doesn't feel like sleeping. He just feels uncomfortable being home, where he lives with his mother. Lightning's still awake as well, she just looks at the ceiling, then she turns her head to face Hope. Even through she couldn't see it, she knows he's awake and he couldn't sleep.

Lightning rolls to her side, and slowly wraps her arms around Hope. "Hey, everything's going to be okay. Never forget the hope you were named for."

Hope slowly nods, and rests his hands on Lightning's. "I know." He whispers.

After a moment, the both of them finally falls asleep.

Later at night, darkness covers the skies. In the office, Bartholomew is doing some paperwork. He's hoping it'll help get his mind off of Nora. Of course he knows he's suppose to be on look out for the Sanctum.

The doorbell rings, and that startles Bartholomew. He can tell that's going to be the Sanctum, but he knows he's gonna have to answer it. Not bothering to answer it would mean that something's up.

Bartholomew makes his way to the door and answers it, to find an army PSICOM troopers and Rosch.

"Greetings Mr. Estheim." Rosch says.

"Director Rosch. How can I help you?" Bartholomew asks.

"As you know, there are l'Cie running lose in this city." Bartholomew doesn't like where this is going. "They have been real quiet lately and we believe someone is sheltering those l'Cie."

"I can assure there are no l'Cie here." Bartholomew says.

"Well, in order to put suspicions to rest, might we take a look in your house?" Rosch asks.

"Uh...sure...one moment please." Bartholomew closes the door shut and runs through the hallway.

"He's holding out on us. Bring down the house." Rosch says.

The PSICOM troops decided to follow the orders, and they started by cutting the power.

In the house, Lightning slowly wakes up. She takes a moment to be aware of her surroundings. She's at Hope's house, in his room. She finds Hope, who's soundly asleep, laying right next to her, with his arms wrapped around her and his head laying on her chest. Under all the peace and quiet, she can tell something's up.

Lightning gets up and out of bed. By doing so, Hope wakes up. "Lightning?" Hope looks to see Lightning is putting on her boots. "What are you doing?"

"Something's up." Lightning says, putting on her pauldron. "Come on."

* * *

Lightning and Hope leaves the room and makes their way to the leaving room, where they find Fang, Snow and Bartholomew. "Thank goodness you two are up. They're here." Bartholomew says. "You all need to get out of here."

Everyone agrees, but it was too late. The ceiling exploded and the PSICOM troops drops smoke bombs in the house, creating a mist of smoke all over the room.

Everyone coughs from the smoke, and PSICOM troops break through the windows in the hallway. "Hope! In the back!" Snow shouts.

Snow coughs and collapses onto his knees, Hope rushes to Snows side. "You're not ready for this." Hope tells him. "I'll stay here." Lightning and Fang fights off the PSICOM troops that broke in. "Snow. Help my dad!"

Snow nods. Hope joins Lightning and Fang out in the hallway and helps them fight the troopers. The troops starts shooting at Lightning and Fang, but Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Protect on them. Fang jabs her lance through the trooper, and Lightning cuts the Aerial Sniper down.

After taking down the troopers, Snow and Bartholomew waits in the living room. They hear nothing for a moment. "Is it over? Are they..." Bartholomew asks, but becomes interrupted by Snow.

"They're fine. Your son's a tough kid." Snow tells him.

After a moment, they move to the door, and take a peek out of the hallway. They see Lightning and Fang are at the edge of the wall to the windows, keeping an eye out for any attacks, while Hope is looking down at the shattered picture of him and his parents.

A spotlight shines into the house, Lightning and Fang looks to see a large airship, the Havoc Skytank.

Fang looks to see a large number of PSICOM troops guards in front of the house, aiming their guns at it. "Who ordered the battalion?" Fang asks.

"They'll take out the whole building next." Lightning says. Lightning waves at Snow and Bartholomew, telling them to come. Snow rushes to Fang and Lightning while Bartholomew reaches for his son.

Snow looks out the window at the battalion. "My turn."

Snow gets on his feet, removing his trench coat. Lightning and Fang moves out of the way, and watches Snow make his move. Snow stands against the wall, close to the edge of the opening.

Snow holds his coat out in the open, and as soon as he did, the PSICOM troops starts shooting at it. "Don't shoot! I'll show you what a l'Cie looks like!" Snow shouts at the army.

Just like that, the army stops shooting, but they don't lower their weapons. Snow drops his coat and walks into the open, with his hands up. The PSICOM troops kept their guns aimed at Snow. Snow stands right in front of the army. If I were here, I'd be glad he's doing this and I would also say he's pretty stupid pulling a stunt like this.

"Me! I'm a l'Cie! Surprised? Expected some kind of monster? I'm flesh and blood like you! An ordinary citizen of Cocoon!" Snow lowers his hands, dropping them. "Don't you get it? This has been our home our whole lives! How could we even think about destroy it? We want to protect this place just as much as you!"

The PSICOM troopers talk among each other, not even lowering their weapons. They are wondering if he really means it or they're really being tricked.

"You must be Snow Villiers." Rosch says, walking out of the crowd and up in front of Snow. Snow is surprised to see him. "Yaag Rosch, PSICOM Division...I understand your plight. However, the Pulse threat is not so easily dismissed. The very existence of you l'Cie puts every last one of us in danger. Tell me, do you really think your life is worth more then the lives of millions of Cocoon citizens? ...I do not. And so it falls to me to order your execution. It's that simple. It is my responsibility to see you put down."

Rosch turns from Snow, then looks over his shoulder back at Snow. "Your lives are forfeit."

"Aw, cut the crap!" Snow shouts as Yaag makes his way back into the army. "You want l'Cie, then kill l'Cie!" I know I would certainly kill him if I was here to hear that. Yaag stops on his tracks hearing that though. "Why do other people have to die? The Purge has got to stop!"

Lightning walks out of the house. "Snow speaks the truth!" The PSICOM troops aims their guns at her. "If Patrick were here! He would agree too!" Snow looks at Lightning, surprised to hear that. "Patrick had witnessed the Purge when he was young! He barely escaped with his life. But at what cost? ...All the Purge has ever done for him is took away his mothers life! How can you ruin the lives of the innocent and just walk away with it!?"

Yaag turns to face Snow and Lightning. "Do you think we want to Purge our own people? If any trace of Pulse remains, the populace will erupt into chaos. Without sacrifice, without the purge, Cocoon will die!"

The PSICOM troops moves in front of Rosch and cocks their guns, ready to shoot. Suddenly, some smoke bombs comes out of no where and goes off, startling the army. "Who fired? I give no order!" Rosch says.

Explosions happens all around the army, and then the army gets shoot. Rosch now stands, wondering what's going on. Rosch sees his men fallen, all but one, and he's aiming his gun at him. "No!" The troop shoots at Rosch.

In the house, Fang, Hope and Bartholomew stays low, barely watching the action. "We're leaving." Fang says.

Fang gets out of the house, leaving Hope and his dad alone. Hope looks at his dad. "I want to stay here...but there's no place for a l'Cie. I'm going with the others. We'll survive somehow...I promise you that." Lightning and Fang looks back into the house, watching Hope and his dad. "Dad. I hate to run out on you..."

"You're not running!" Bartholomew shouts at Hope. Hope was certainly startled at his shout. "This is not running away. You've made a choice." Bartholomew puts his hands on Hopes shoulders. "You'll survive, and do what needs to be done."

"You mean complete my Focus?" Hope asks.

"Don't you worry about that!" Bartholomew says. "You make the choice."

Hope hugs his dad. Meanwhile, Snow is coughing from the smoke outside. "Damn it!" Snow looks up to see the Havoc Skytank. The large airship bring out it's weapons: Portside Turret, Starboard Turret, Portside Hull and the Starboard Hull.

Lightning, Fang and Hope moves in front of Snow. "Our turn, hero." Lightning says, taking out her Gunblade.

"I can handle a little gas." Snow says.

Hope stands in front of Snow. "Catch your breath! I'll throw in some hits for you!" Hope tells him.

Snow coughs and returns into the house to take cover. Lightning, Fang and Hope now have to stand against the warship.

Hope blesses himself and Fang with Faith, then Bravery on Lightning. Fang casts her Ruin spells repeatly on the Havoc Skytank, since she has no range weapon. Lightning attacks at the large airship, by shooting at it with her weapon in gun mode.

The Havoc Skytank shoots at the party with it's Turrets, then the Hull's shoots a wave of missiles, Missile Barrage. Hope casts Protect on himself, then Lightning then Fang. The Havoc Skytank brings out a large cannon from underneath, and begins charging.

Fang shifts into Sentinel and does Wide Guard. Lightning shifts into Ravager and casts Thunder repeatly. The Havoc Skytank unleashes Main Cannon, shooting a powerful laser at the party. Hope shifts into Medic, quickly casts Cura on himself and the others, then shifts into Ravager and casts Thundara at the large airship.

The warship loses its Portside Turret. The Havoc Skytank shoots Plasma Blasters at Fang. Fang shifts back into Commando and casts Ruin spells at the warship. Lightning shifts into Commando and shoots at the Warship. The Havoc Skytank fires a Missile Barrage. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cure on himself and Lightning.

Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Haste on himself and the girls. The Warship loses it's Starboard Hull from the girls attacks. The Warship shoots out of the Starboard Turret then fires Plasma Blasters. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts his Thunder spells. Lightning cast a Ruin spell then shoots with her weapon.

Fang shifts into Sentinel and does Mediguard, protecting her from the Turret Fires. Lightning shifts into Ravager and cast her Thunder spells on the warship. Hope casts Thundara, then the Warship brings out it's Main Cannon. Fang does Wide Guard as the ship charges.

Hope shifts into Medic, getting ready to heal. The Havoc Warship shoots its powerful laser, then Hope casts his Cura spell. Fang shifts into Commando and Hope shifts back into Ravager and they attack the Havoc Skytank. The warship loses it's Starboard Turret, then it does Missile Barrage.

Lightning shoots at the warship, Fang casts her Ruin spells. Hope does his Thundara spells. The Skytank loses it's last weaponry, the Portside Hull. The explosion of the Hull damages the Skytank greatly, it bursts into flames and falls out of the sky.

Another warship comes out of the sky, and points it's spotlights at the l'Cie party. "Again? There's no end to these guys!" Fang says.

The Warship aims its weapons at the team, but instead, a Main Cannon blast hits the warship, destroying it. Lightning and the others look to see another Warship. The group arms themselves, ready to fight as the warship lands.

When it lands, PSICOM troops comes out. They all line up, but they don't ready themselves for battle, they just stand in place. A PSICOM troop walks out of the ship and up to the l'Cie gang.

"Heya, Fang." He says. The trooper removes his helm, revealing his face. "Need a ride?"

Fang lowers her guard, realizing it's only the Calvary in disguise. "Don't get cute." Fang says with a smirk. She turns her attention to Hope and Lightning. "Let's go."

Snow comes out of the house, staggering and coughing. Snow makes his way to the Warship.

Hope looks back, seeing his dad inside the house. "Take care, dad."

Hope walks up to the airship. Lightning is the last one remaining, she was about to go on, but...

"Ms. Farron." Lighting stops to look back at Bartholomew. "Please...take care of Hope."

Lightning doesn't say anything. She looks at Hope, who just entered the airship, then back at Bartholomew. "I will." Lightning now gets on the airship.

When everyone was on board, the airship raises and then takes off.


	11. Nautilus

A/N: Things in Palumpolum were crazy weren't they? Makes me wish I'd stay there instead of leaving. Curse my loyalty! We're now moving on to Nautilus, where we see how Sazh and Vanille are doing in the city of dreams. Here, we learn a dark secret that Vanille has been hiding. What could it be we wonder?

Chapter 8: Nautilus

[Two hours ago]

Sazh and Vanille gets off of the ship. They arrived at Nautilus. When they were off, Vanille is on her knees, a bit exhausted.

"Seasick?" Sazh asks her.

"Nope, I'm fine." Vanille says, standing up.

"Okay then." Sazh and Vanille moves around the Nautilus Station.

Vanille is surprised to see the crowd of thousands. "Wow. There's so many people."

"Yeah, well. It happens in the City of Dreams." Sazh tells her. Sazh looks around, noticing something...different around here. "Hmm, not a lot of security here." Sazh and Vanille stops. "For these people, the l'Cie panic must still seem like a world away."

Sazh notices Vanille has her eyes struck on the screen, he takes a look at it as well. "Oh, hey. Looks like they're putting Eidolon's on parade. It's starting soon." Sazh looks back at Vanille. "What do you say? Let's go check it out."

"Sure." Vanille says excitedly.

Sazh and Vanille moves on, but stops when the screen suddenly changes into a newscast.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a breaking news update."

The screen shows a video of Lightning and Hope arriving at Palumpolum. "The l'Cie who surfaced in Palumpolum and attacked the city's citizens are still on the run from authorities." The video switches to the time Omega Weapon comes out of hiding as a Helicopter and starts shooting at the army. "Sanctum soldiers are tracking their location," Then the video switches to Snow beating up the PSICOM troops. "but have yet to engage the fugitives."

The video now shows Snow and Fang riding on the Shiva sisters on the ice ramps. "The presence of hostages has been confirmed."

Vanille notices Fang riding on Shiva behind Snow and then gasps horrified at the sight of it.

"What's wrong?" Sazh asks her.

"It's her!" Vanille says.

Sazh looks back at the screen. "Yep. Looks like the army finally found them." Vanille doesn't say anything, neither does Sazh. After about a minute of silence, Sazh speaks up. "That parade's about to start. Come on, let's go."

Sazh puts a hand on Vanille's back and takes her around the city. They make their way to the parade, down the hallway. Vanille stops from behind. She holds her hands together, looking down with worried and guilt.

Sazh looks behind and notices the nervous girl. "Hey, loosen up!" Vanille looks up at the smiling old man. "Gonna make the most of this...Right?"

Vanille smiles a little then nods, and they continue on.

They arrive at the Main Street, where the parade is taking please. It's about to start, the Pompa Sancta Parade that everyone's been talking about.

Sazh and Vanille looks up at the giant sphere in the air, noticing the show's about to start, with a giant clock made out of glowing light. Which time the hand moves, the number flips.

"The show is starting. Look." Sazh says.

They both look up at the light clock, then the lights of the tower rushing on upwards. When the star on top shines, thousands of dishes starts falling from the sky.

Vanille smiles with a cheerful sigh. One of the discs falls towards her, and Vanille jumps up and catches it with excitement. Vanille holds it in front of her, looking at it and then a Carbuncle appears from the disk, glowing in light blue with a red gem on its head.

"It's party time, little lady." It tells her.

Vanille smiles and giggles at the little Carbuncle. Sazh looks down at the Carbuncle and smiles as well. The Carbuncle flies off, Sazh and Vanille couldn't take their eyes off of the little creature.

The Carbuncle flies around the area in the air with a bunch of other Carbuncles. The Carbuncles starts creating water rings in the air, and hologram dancers of water appears on the water rings. In the center of those rings are hologram harp players. Sazh and Vanille are enjoying the show, as the water rings start to float away from each other.

Dramatic music takes place as the hologram dancers starts waving around in the air as the water rings turn into red flaming rings, and most of the holograms turn to fire as well.

The fire dancers starts to do some kind of summon dance, then in the center of a flame ring, wave of flames rises, and then a sinister laughter happens.

The flames die down, revealing one evil l'Cie. "With Pulse-born spite, and savage might! I will destroy Cocoon!" The evil l'Cie says.

The evil l'Cie unleashing a breath of hologram fire over the crowd. "Here domes the attack from Pulse." Sazh points out.

The fire dancers and starts dancing around the water dancers, and at their finishing moves, the water dancers vanish. The evil l'Cie also strikes at the dancers with it's flaming breath. The vanished dancers comes together and a gust of wind starts to form. The wind forms into another l'Cie, but a good one.

"With trusty blade, and fal'Cie's aid. I will defend Cocoon!" The two l'Cie begins the fight. "To battle!"

The two l'Cie's fight in the air. "You dare oppose me!?" The evil l'Cie asks. The last strike causes the two l'Cie to launch away from each other. "I will fulfill my focus!" The evil l'Cie channels a large flaming sphere on it.

The good l'Cie appears from the far distance, as the sphere resolves, revealing the evil l'Cie in it's eidolon form. Vanille gasps at the sight of it, she recognizes that form.

"Ragnarok!" She says in horror.

"Fal'Cie grant me strength!" The good l'Cie says, forming into Valefor. Ragnarok unleashes blasts of flare, striking everywhere. Valefor flies around the air, avoid the flames making it's way to Ragnarok. Valefor energizes itself and it clashes with Ragnarok, causing a bright light that's nearly blinding the citizens. When the light clears, Cocoon appears with its shell broken and the pieces circle the planet.

Everyone cheers at the parades ending, all except for Sazh and Vanille. Sazh seems a little impressed, Vanille is...well, she's really not doing anything but looking up at the image of the shattered Cocoon, then the young girl looks down, with a tear sliding down on her cheek.

After the parade, Sazh and Vanille leaves the Main Street. They arrive at a resting place in the Festival Road. Vanille sits on a bench. "Where to next, little lady." Sazh says, imitation the little Carbuncle from the parade.

Vanille looks up at with, laughing with a smile. "I'll let you decide."

Sazh thinks for a moment, then gets an idea. A stupid one in my case. "I know. A Nautilus Park date...with Sazh."

Vanille has doubt in her expression. "Yeah, but should we really be playing around?" Vanille asks, a little worried.

"Forget about that heavy stuff for a while, and maybe this will just fade away." Sazh tells her, pointing his thumb at his brand at the second half of the sentence.

For an answer, Vanille smiles and nods. "Okay."

Vanille stands up. "Great! Let's roll!"

Sazh and Vanille makes their leave, wondering around the area. They make their way to the Nautilus Park. Vanille stops, noticing where they're going.

"What's in Nautilus Park, anyway?" Vanille asks.

Sazh stops and turns back looking at Vanille. "It's a huge amusement park, built by the Sanctum." Sazh looks away with a disapproval look. "Bet they never expected l'Cie visitors.

Vanille looks around. "So...is this place special?" She asked.

Sazh puts his hands on his hips, thinking back. "I promised Dajh...I was gonna bring him some day. Hope I can at least tell him about it."

Vanille looks at Sazh. She gives him a hopeful smile, even if he can't see it from behind. "You'll get the chance."

"Maybe...I do know where they're keeping him." Sazh says.

Vanille puts her hands on her hips. "Can I go with you?" Her tone was cheerful and childish, mostly childish.

Sazh turns to face Vanille. "Sure, more the merrier!" Vanille giggles. "What about you? You got someone special out there?"

"Special? Nope." Vanille says.

Sazh is surprised to hear that. "Really? Now that is kind of sad."

Vanille bends down. "Yeah..."

"Hey, I'm kidding! I didn't mean to upset you."

Vanille stands up. "Well I'm just fine, thank you!"

Vanille moves on ahead and Sazh follows her. They arrive at the station and board the Nautilift for Nautilus Park. The ride submerges into the water, then surfaces in a watering hole in the Nautilus Park.

When it opens, Vanille jumps out. "Wow!" Vanille looks amazed at the sight of the park. "It's so amazing!"

"Yeah. It's a real beauty." Sazh says.

Vanille rushes ahead then stops at the entrance to the Chocobo Corral. "Oh..." Sazh's Chocobo jumps out of his hair and lands on Vanille's shoulder.

Vanille looks at the little pet, noticing it's jumping and chirp directly at the passage. "Huh-huh. Somebody's excited!" Sazh says.

"Yeah. Hey! You can make some new friends." Vanille tells the chocobo.

"Dajh is crazy about Chocobos. He really wanted to come here." Sazh tells Vanille.

"Let's look around." Vanille says with excitement.

"Indeed." Sazh points at the passage. "And in we go!"

Sazh and Vanille walks into the Chocobo Corral, which is crawling with Chocobos, and sheep's too, but mostly Chocobos. Sazh plugs his nose at the stench. "Ugh! The smell...Ah, glad I don't work here."

Vanille stands in the middle of the grassland on the Corral. She spreads her arms and inhales deeply through her nose, then exhales. The smell sure does reminds her of home.

The little chocobo jumps off of Vanille's shoulder, and starts flying around like crazy. "Hey! Come back here!" Sazh and Vanille chases after the little chocobo as it flies down the sidewalk heading deeper into the corral

Sazh and Vanille chases after it, at the end, they find the little chocobo hanging with some adult Chocobos. Vanille smiles and giggles. "Part of the gang already."

"Uh-huh. Always good to be among friends." Sazh says.

Vanille walks up to the adult chocobo and pets it on the neck. "The fun times are doubled." Vanille rests her head on the chocobo. "And your worries feel far away."

"And nothing ever seems as scary when you have someone to share it with." Sazh adds.

Vanille looks at Sazh then nods. The little chocobo flies back to Sazh and lands in his afro. Vanille laughs. "You're still number one. Of course." She tells Sazh.

"Of course." Sazh looks at the two Chocobos, who are getting along well with each other, then he sighs. "Thanks, Vanille." Vanille looks at Sazh, with a bit of confusion. "Now when I see Dajh, I can tell him about the Chocobos...He's being held by the military."

Vanille is disappointed to hear that. "PSICOM, you mean?"

The chocobo behind Vanille nibbles at her hair. Vanille looks over her shoulder, then back at Sazh as she pets the chocobo on the side of its face.

"Yeah, since he's a Cocoon l'Cie. They're running tests. They're trying to figure out his Focus." Sazh doesn't say anything for a moment, then he turns to look at Vanille. "I'm...turning myself in." Vanille is shocked to hear that. "I know the execute l'Cie, but hey...They're not total monsters. They'll listen to a final request. They'll have to. Before the end, I want to talk to Dajh one last time."

Vanille can feel herself breaking hearing all this. She starts to frown and it deepens the more Sazh speaks. "I want to tell him about these Chocobos. I want to tell him about everything I've seen."

Vanille rushes up to him. "But, wait! Sazh!"

"Listen, I don't want you to worry. You're not part of this. You'll have plenty of time to split before I surrender." Sazh raises his hands over his head at the end.

"That's not what I meant!" Vanille protests.

"I'm sorry Vanille." Sazh turns from Vanille. "I'm just...I'm tired of all this running."

"But...you can't!" Vanille begs. "What about Dajh?" Dajh looks back at Vanille, wondering what she's talking about. "He's a l'Cie because of someone from Pulse. You can't give up without getting revenge!" Vanille grabs on to Sazhs hands. "I know who it is! I know who's responsible! For the accident. The accident at Euride."

Sazh is certainly surprised to hear that. He grabs onto Vanilles shoulders and shakes her. "Then tell me!"

Vanille looks at Sazh, directly in the eyes. "The l'Cie who ruined your life was..."

Vanille pauses for a moment, afraid to tell him the truth, but that moment ends when the Chocobos starts fleeing, and then bullet shoots starts running down at them. Vanille and Sazh at on the alarm, and looked around to see what's going on. Over the mountains at a far distance, at PSICOM troopers.

"Soldiers? Where'd they come from?" Sazh says, aggressive. Sazh takes out his guns and starts shooting at them. "Get out of here, Vanille!"

Vanille makes a run for it, at the bridge towards the Mall, and Sazh follows her from behind. When they cross the bridge, they stopped to see PSICOM troopers blocking their escape. They're about to turn back, but the bridge was drawn, cutting off their retreat.

"No place left to run." Sazh says.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Sazh and Vanille becomes surrounded by an army of PSICOM troops. They stand back to back. Sazh has his guns out, ready to shoot, Vanille has her binding rod out, also ready to cast her spells.

They look around noticing the number of armies is growing bigger and bigger, it's probably about over a hundred of them. "There's too many of them." Vanille says. "We can't take them all."

"You suggesting we surrender?" Sazh asks.

"All units! Battle stations!" The general orders. All the PSICOM troops aims their guns at Sazh and Vanille. "Ready! Aim!" Sazh and Vanille braces themselves, ready to either fight back or die. "FIRE!"

Just that moment, an explosion happens in part of the army group. the general is surprised. "What the?" The general and the army turns to the direction where the explosion happens, then they noticed, at a distance, is me riding on Omega Weapon in it's helicopter form.

Sazh and Vanille looks up, taking notice as well. "The army?" Vanille asks.

Sazh takes a closer look. "No...that's no ordinary helicopter." Sazh says.

"All units! Blast that thing out of the sky!" The general shouts. All the PSICOM soldiers moves to the edge of the mall, aiming their guns at Omega Weapon.

I stick my head out of Omega Weapon, shouting with the Megaphone. "Sazh! Vanille! Get down!"

Sazh and Vanille are surprised. "It's Patrick!" Vanille says with a gasp.

"FIRE!" The General orders.

All at once, the troops shoots at us. I just smirk as I draw closer to the army. "You losers messed with the wrong guy."

I command Omega Weapon to do Flare Star at the army. Gatling guns come out of both sides of Omega Weapon and rapidly shoots at the army. Sazh and Vanille takes cover, hiding from my attacks, even through I might not hit them. The bullets of the Flare Star shoots at the army, killing some of them. Those that hit the ground causes a small flaming explosion.

As soon as I'm a hundred yards from the army, Omega Weapon stops in place, and then starts shooting Terra Missiles. Burning missiles fires from all direction from underneath Omega Weapon and causes minor explosions on the army.

"Stand your ground!" The general orders. After the explosions, I command Omega Weapon to do Absolute Zero. A laser ray comes out of the top of Omega Weapon, on the helicopter blades. The cannon aims at the army and starts charging frozen energy, then shoots an orb of frozen energy. The orb lands at the army, when it did, it explodes a massive amount of ice.

The PSICOM enemy is still fighting back, so now I command Omega Weapon to use Megiddo Flame. Three Ray Guns underneath Omega Weapon's face aims at the army and shoots red laser beams. Making contact on the ground leaves a trail of flames as the lasers travels around the area.

The Megiddo Flame kills another number of armies, just only a few remains. I'd say about 50 by the looks. "Bring out the heavy artillery!"

The general and his army takes out missile launchers and aims at me and Omega Weapon. "Oh, I don't think so."

I command Omega Weapon to charge up. Its eyes glows and it's mouth opens, storing up a large amount of energy, bit by bit. The PSICOM troops starts to panic.

"Ge-ge...General?" The Sergeant asks.

"Stand your ground." The General says.

I smirk. "Hasta La Vista." I push the big red button and then Omega Weapon unleashes its Omega Blast. The large beam of energy blasts at the army, unleashing a massive nova explosion in it's wake, blowing away the army.

When the blast clears, Sazh and Vanille comes out of hiding, nothing the number of damage I've done to the area and the army. "Wow." Vanille says.

Sazh whistles. "Quite a number of damage I'll say." Vanille giggles.

Sazh and Vanille walks around until I land in front of them, with Omega Weapon landing behind me in its original form. Sazh and Vanille were startled by my eidolon. I look back at Omega Weapon and pull the front of my hat down and up at it. Omega Weapon waves back then it vanishes.

I face back at Sazh and Vanille. "Glad to see you two are still alive."

Vanille smiles then rushes up to me for a hug. I was startled from when Vanille hugged me. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you." Vanille says while hugging and jumping.

"Uh, You're welcome. Ok." I shove Vanille off of me. "You can get off now."

"Patrick, what are you doing here?" Sazh asks.

"It's kind of a long story." I turn facing the path towards the Clock Tower. "I'll explain on the way, we should get moving."

* * *

The three of us makes our way through the passage towards the clock tower. We have to fight our way through the Zwerg Metrodroids, Razorclaws and Corps Gunners.

As we fight, I explain everything that's happened.

"After you guys left, I decided to ditch Snow to catch up with you guys." I see three Corps Gunners rushing up towards me, then stops and aims their guns at me. I shoot at two of them, killing them. The last gunner shoots at me, but I quickly shift into Synergist and cast Protect on myself.

"Why would you ditch Snow?" Vanille asks, burning a Metrodroid with her Fira spell.

I shift into commando and kill that gunner. "Cause I can't stand that doofus!" After defeating our enemies, we continue on. "But my passage got blocked, so I had to find another route, but I ended up returning to Snow, facing the army and his eidolon."

"I guess that explains the Shiva Sisters we saw on the news." Sazh says.

We run into another wave of enemies and starts fighting. "After we defeated the eidolon, the Calvary came in and tried to take us in."

Sazh shoots like crazy against the Metrodroids. "The Calvary?" Sazh asks.

"Yeah, but get this. their commander was..." I look at Sazh to see a Razorclaw charging from behind him. I aim my bow directly at Sazh, which is going to be mean for the monster behind him. "Duck!"

Sazh looked shocked. As soon as I fire my arrow, Sazh ducks and the Razorclaw pounces, only to get shoot in the head. Sazh stands up to see the dead Razorclaw behind him. "Thanks, man."

"Don't sweat it." I help out Vanille with the Corp Gunners, casting my Ruin spells at them. "Their commander was a l'Cie, and she took me and Snow in."

Vanille is surprised to see this, stopping her fight to look at me. "The l'Cie! Was it a female warrior, in a blue clothing, short black top, lance, long black hair, bronze skin?"

Vanille's talking was a bit faster and hopeful. I was able to catch most of it while I was fighting. After killing the enemies, I answered her question.

"I didn't catch half of what you said but...Yes, she had some of those things." I say, Vanille was about to say something, but then I give a curious look. "Wait. How do you know what she looked like?"

"She's a friend of mine! Her name's Fang." Vanille says.

"Would you two stop talking and give me a hand?" Sazh asks. We look to see Sazh is in trouble, single-facing against two Orions.

Me and Vanille dropped our little conversation and help out Sazh with his situation. I had to shift into Synergist to strength us and Vanille had to shift into Medic and heal us. After that, we shift back into Commando and Ravager and help Sazh fight the machines.

After defeating them, I turn to Vanille. "So that l'Cie was your friend?" I ask. Vanille nods with a smile. "Well...she wasn't very friendly with me or Snow...well with Snow I can take, but wasn't very friendly with me. She took Snow in and tried to do the same with me."

"How did you escape?" Sazh asks.

"I punched her in the face, knocked her off of her Velocycle and hijacked it." I say.

Vanille is surprised to hear that. "Well, I hope you'll be returning it." Vanille says, waving her finger at my face like a strict mother would do with her son.

I pull Vanille's hand lower from my face. "Yeah, that's not gonna happen." I say, flicking Vanille in the forehead. "I ran out of gas and the Velocycle got damaged when I crash landed in Twilight Forest. Talk about déjà vu."

Vanille giggles at the Déjà vu comment, since she remembers when we and Hope crashed into that fal'Cie Vestige. We continue on our passage until we ran into more enemies.

"I ran into Lightning and Hope inside the forest." I say, but became interrupted by Vanille.

"You did? How's Hope doing?" Vanille asks.

I rapidly shoot at the Orion, until the machine dies down. "You know, the usual." I answered. "I help the two through the forest, of course I had to since Lightning was pretty injured and Hope is...well, a kid." We wipe out the rest of our enemies. "We ran into some trouble with a giant Ochu, but we manage to defeat it, then later on, I had to face my eidolon, then on the next day, we arrived at Palumpolum."

"You did. Did you bring Hope home?" Vanille asks, cheerfully.

"Uh...no, not really." I say.

Hearing that, Vanille is instantly disappointed, then she shoves me. "But you PROMISED to take him home!"

I was surprised the girl is strong to push me back. "Whoa. You're pretty strong for a kid." I say. Vanille just gives a grumpy look, with her hands on her hips. "I know I promised Nora I take him home, but then I heard the army was coming here for you two. Lightning and Hope wasn't gonna do anything, so I had to come rescue you two."

"What about the kid?" Sazh says.

"I entrusted Lightning to take Hope home for me." I say.

Sazh gives a small chuckle hearing that. "You sure that's a good idea? Soldier girl is pretty cold and emotionless."

"I'm well aware of the kind of person Lightning is." I shoot a look at Sazh, then I cool down a bit afterwards. "Nonetheless, I trust her and she said she would do it. So I summoned Omega and ride all the way over here." I turn my head, looking back at the damaged area I caused. "And at the neck of time too."

Sazh nods, then I turn to face the Clock Tower. "Now let's go."

We move on ahead, we're about to arrive on in the Clock Tower, but then we stopped when a giant war machine, a Midlight Reaper, lands right in front of the doors of the clock tower.

Sazh takes out his guns. "Think I'm going down that easy?"

I take out my bow, load it with an arrow. "I admire your moxie, Sazh. Let's total this piece of junk!"

The Midlight Reaper sprays us with Nerve Gas, poisoning us. Vanilla shifts into Medic and casts Esuna on us. I shift into Synergistic and cast Protect on us, then Bravery on me and Sazh and Faith on Vanille.

Sazh shifts into Ravager and casts Fira and Aero at the machine. Vanille shifts into Ravager and casts her Blizzard and Water spells. The Midlight Reaper starts shooting at us. I shift into Saboteur and cast Deprotect and Shell on the machine. Sazh shifts into Synergist and cast Haste on us all, then shifts into Commando and starts shooting.

The Midlight Reaper does Mega Blast, shooting explosion blasts at Me and Vanille. Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cura on herself and me. I cast Imperil on the machine, then shift into Synergist to cast Enwater on me and Sazh. Then I shift into Commando and start shooting.

The Midlight Reaper does Nerve Gas on us, but then Vanille casts Esuna on us. Vanille shifts into Ravager and casts her Fira and Water spells on the machine.

The Midlight Reaper releases it's arm restraints and begins priming its main cannon. As the machine is charging, we fight our hardest to destroy it, but we didn't get that lucky. The Midlight Reaper finishes charging and unleashes Railgun, unleashing a powerful blast of energy.

Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cura on us. Me and Sazh just shoots the hell out of the machine, until it sparks and shuts down, collapsing onto the ground in pieces with smoke coming out of it.

The three of us stands in place, panting in exhaustion. That we certainly a rough fight. The little chocobo from Sazh pops out of his hair and chirps, flying forward. We all look ahead, at the front doors of the clock tower is a little boy.

"Daddy, I found you." Dajh says, running up to us.

Sazh is completely shocked and surprised, Vanille gasps horrified with guilt, I just look pretty confused.

Dajh rushes up to Sazh and wraps his arms over Sazh's legs. "Daddy! Got you!"

I look at the boy, then at Sazh. "Daddy?" I asked.

"He's...Sazh's son." Vanille says, with her voice breaking. Hearing that makes me wonder what's up with the girl. But I kept my attention on the boy and Sazh.

"Dajh. Why are you here?" Sazh asked, his tone sounds like a mix of horrify and shock. It's like he's disappointed to see the boy.

"Because you promised." Dajh says.

Sazh kneels down to the boys level. "But...how did you get here?"

The boy doesn't answer. Sazh slowly puts his hands on the boys shoulders, then his head. Dajh suddenly glows and Sazh backs up from him while me and Vanille looks away from the blinding light.

We all now look to see that Dajh has turned to crystal, that certainly has alarmed me. "What the?" I had no idea the kid became a l'Cie.

"Dajh! Wait! Come back!" Sazh pleads, reaching for the crystallized boy.

The clock tower strikes at eight. Jihl and her PSICOM team are by the clock tower. Jihl seems amazed at the show we're doing. I on the other hand don't.

"Dajh..." Sazh says in despair. "Not you. Not you, Dajh."

Watching Sazh and Dajh's situation here just sunders me from the inside. Seeing this just brings up more of my dark memories, in fact, I'm starting to imagine it, my memories are pulling an illusion into my reality. Sazh turns into my fourteen-year-old self, and the crystallized Dajh turns into my Cie'th father. There my fathers corpse lays on the bloody ground. I sit beside him, weeping over his corpse, beaten and bruised, bloody even.

Just when I couldn't take it anymore, the sound of a familiar voice snaps me back into reality. "The capture of undesirables." I look to see it's none other then Jihl. Seeing that women just boils my blood. "It seems that was your son's Focus. Dajh fulfilled it admirably, and serve Cocoon it's process."

Jihl turns to face me, then smirks. "Well, well. Nice to see you, Patrick."

"Hello, Jihl." I say, with a bitter tone.

"How long has it been? Six years? ...Nice to see you're doing well...after your fathers demise."

"NEVER MENTION MY FATHER!" I snapped at her. My yelling seem to have surprised Vanille with worry.

Jihl just chuckles and turns her attention to Sazh. "You should be proud of him, Mr. Katzroy?"

Sazh doesn't say anything, neither does Vanille or I. Exactly, Vanille moves in between Sazh and Jihl, while I just glare at the women bitterly.

"Dajh was a great help. He could sense power of Pulse origin." Jihl points out. "That let us monitor you."

"So you used the kid as a pet? You're sick!" I say.

"Words cannot express our gratitude." She tells me, then returns to Sazh. "The data he provided on enemy l'Cie was...invaluable. And speaking of gratitude..."

"Gratitude?" I asked with my anger rising.

Jihl looks at me then nods, then back at Sazh. She takes out some hologram device and drops it right in front of Sazh.

The device points a red beam and shows some video, to my surprise, Vanille was on it. Sazh seems surprised as well.

"We enhanced the surveillance footage from the energy plant." Jihl says. The footage is showing another person on it. I recognize that women, it's the one back in Lake Bresha, who tried to take me in but I escaped by hijacking her Velocycle. "Those are the Pulse l'Cie behind of what happened."

Fang starts talking, but I could hardly understand what she's saying over Jihl's chattering. "The picture's a little grainy, but I'm sure you recognized that one. You've spent so much time together."

"Fang, let's go." The hologram Vanille says. "What's our Focus even matter?"

"What's it matter?" Fang asks in frustration, banging her fist on the glass window. "You want to be a monster?"

"I just..."

"Keep your chin up. We know the part that matters." Fang tells her. "Right? We are enemies of Cocoon. Know what I say? Play the part and raise some hell. Might jump-start our memories."

Vanille looks at Fang, surprised. "What?"

Fang smirks. "The fal'Cie. Let's smash it!"

Vanille looks at the fal'Cie. She and Fang steps back, taking out their weapons.

"Who are you?" A voice asks them.

Fang and Vanille turns around, to see the kid Dajh. At first, they were startled, but lower their weapons to see it's only a kid. Just then, the place rumbles and an explosion happens.

The hologram ends. Me and Sazh are speechless, Sazh is holding on to his crystallized son. I slowly turned to Vanille.

"Vanille...?" The girl doesn't bother to look at me. She just looks sad, feeling guilty. Sazh stands up, not taking his eyes off of his son. Vanille slowly, bit by bit, sobs and cries.

"Yes. That young lady's terrorist assault at the Euride Gorge is the reason Dajh was made a l'Cie. Ironic, isn't it? The very girl your protecting..." Jihl points her rod at Vanille. "Is the one who stoked your son."

"Shut up, you!" I snapped at Jihl. Sazh looks at Vanille disappointedly, Vanille sorrow grows worse, she covered her ears and shouts a 'no!' And runs right in the Clock tower. "Vanille!" I shout for her. She doesn't stop or anything, just kept running. I turn facing Jihl. "You are twisted!"

I run into the clock tower, chasing after Vanille. The PSICOM troops aim their guns at us, ready to shoot.

"Hold." Jihl orders. Jihl just watches me and Vanille until we're out of sight, then she turns to face Sazh. "Shall we finish the job...or would you prefer to?"

Sazh says nothing, but he does look straight ahead and chases after us. Jihl stands back, watching Sazh going after Vanille.

"Colonel Nabaat, what now?" A trooper asks.

"Follow them, and observe." Jihl says. "How often to l'Cie kill their own? Just like a son killing his own father." Jihl chuckles at that last part, then she and the troopers goes in.

At the Fiendlords Keep. Vanille slowly walks up to the throne, she stops in the middle of the area and looks back.

"You...are cold blooded." Vanille looks ahead to see it's an illusion of Sazh, sitting on the throne. She gasps at the sight of it. "Lying...so people would trust you. Using them as shields." The illusion Sazh points its guns at Vanille. "How many you gotta drag down with you?"

"I'm..." Vanille becomes interrupted before she could say anything.

"A coward and a killer...the people you used don't get to live." Vanille widens her eyes in horror hearing that. "Why should you!?"

The illusion Sazh shoots at Vanille. Vanille backs up from the shooting then collapses. She felt like she would have died, but suddenly realized...nothing happened, like she hadn't been shoot, even through the bullets went right through her. It's only an illusion.

Vanille stands back up, looking back at the Sazh illusion. "Tired of living with guilt...then die with it."

The illusion Sazh vanishes. Vanille stands in place, then slowly gets down on her knees.

"Vanille!" I arrive to see the girl just sitting there, looking down. I slowly approach the young girl. "Vanille...?"

Vanille looks at me, then stands up, turning to face me. "My name is Oerba Dia Vanille...I'm a l'Cie from Grand Pulse." I feel surprised to hear that. I'd never expect someone as sweet and innocent as Vanille to be from a place like Pulse. "And to everyone on Cocoon...evil."

"No! That's a lie!" I yell. Vanille becomes startled from my shouting. "You're not evil! Just because you're from Pulse doesn't mean you're evil!"

"But that's how everyone sees Pulse. Pulse is hell on earth!" Vanille says, with her voice breaking.

"Maybe that is true, but you...you are just a kid who's all about sunshines and unicorns." I say. "Judgment is nothing but a cloud that blinds your vision. Just because you're from Pulse doesn't make you evil!"

"But...Dajh...he's a l'Cie...because of..." Vanille doesn't say anything else.

I walk up to the girl with hands on her shoulders. "Vanille. It was an accident. You didn't mean to drag Dajh into it. There's a saying: 'Accidents happen'. Surely you didn't really mean to make Dajh a l'Cie...did you?"

Vanille looks up at me, with sorrow and guilt in her eyes. That's when Sazh arrives, panting and grabbing at his chest where his l'Cie brand rests. Sazh looks up to see me and Vanille, and his points his gun at us.

"Vanille!"

I look over my shoulder to see Sazh, then I look back at Vanille. After that moment, I turn around and stand in between Sazh and Vanille, protecting to girl. "Leave her alone!" I tell him.

"Don't you dare defend this little monster!" Sazh yells at me. "Out of the way, boy!"

"If you want, Vanille. You're gonna have to go through me!" I yell at Sazh.

Vanille just walks past me and then in front of me. She looks back at me and shook her head. I step back as Vanille looks back at Sazh with her arms wide open.

"Shoot me! For your son." Vanille tells Sazh.

"Don't you even!" Vanille becomes startled from that. "You think you die, and that's that! Hm? You think you die and everything will be sugar and rainbows!"

With Vanille, I bet it will be. "Then...what can I do?" Vanille walks forward for a few steps, with her voice starting to break. "What do you want from me? If I can't live or die, what do you want me to do?!"

"Don't ask me! You figure it out." Sazh tells her.

"I don't know!" Vanille looks up, slightly sobbing with a tear escaping from her eye.

I slowly walk close to Vanille and put a hand on her shoulder. I look back at Sazh to see the expression of despair and doubt upon him.

"Either do I." Sazh says, lowering his gun. Sazh turns around and starts walking away. "It's over...there's nothing to do." Sazh stops on his tracks, as he drops his gun right by his feet. "Shooting you won't help." Sazh falls onto his knees. "Neither will living."

I get what Sazh means, I feel the someway when I killed my own father. My own flesh and blood, the only family I had left. How could I live with I took away his life? Just then, Sazh's l'Cie brand glows, white at first, then shine brightly in fiery red. Sazh grabs at his chest and bends down, as a fiery sphere appears right above him.

Seeing this startles me and Vanille, then Sazh groans in pain and falls down on his back. Inside the sphere, an eidolon is made, and then the sphere bursts, revealing a red metal warrior with a gunaxe. Brynhildr. Brynhildr looks down at Sazh. "Do your worse! You freak!" Sazh yells at the eidolon.

Vanille rushes in front of Sazh, shielding him from Brynhildr. Vanille looks back at Sazh. "It's not over." She tells him.

Vanille looks back at Brynhildr, who points her gunaxe at Vanille. I start to worry. "Vanille! Get back!" I rush to Vanille. Sazh starts to get up. Brynhildr positions herself to attack. I made it in front of Vanille, ready to shoot at the eidolon. I was about to fire until I hear the sound of gun fire. I look back to see Sazh, who's right next to Vanille, shooting at the eidolon.

He only shoots three times and then walks up to the eidolon. "Okay, fine! You want me! Come and get me!" He yells at Brynhildr.

Vanille wipes the tears from her eyes, and then she and I joins Sazh on the battle against his eidolon.

Brynhildr casts Doom on Sazh, he only has 180 seconds to live. Brynhildr shoots at Sazh twice and then does Pyroshot, shooting a ball of fire at Sazh from her gunaxe.

Sazh shoots at Brynhildr, while I shift into Synergist and cast Bravery on me and Sazh and Faith on Vanille. Vanille shifted into Saboteur and casts Imperil and Deprotect and Deshell on the eidolon.

Brynhildr shoots twice at me and then does Pyroshot. I cast Protect and Shell on myself, Sazh and Vanille. Vanille shifts into Medic, during that, Brynhildr does Valkyrian Scythe on her. Sweep strikes, sweep shoots then strikes again.

Vanille casts Cure on herself, then she shifts into Ravager and casts Blizzara on the eidolon. Sazh shifts into Synergist and casts Enfrost on me and him. Brynhildr shoots twice at Vanille then does Pyroshot. I shift into Commando and shoot at the eidolon with my frozen arrows.

Sazh only has 90 seconds to live. Brynhildr does Valkyrian Scythe on me. Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cura on me. Sazh shifts into Commando cast his Ruin spells on the eidolon, then Vanille shifts back into Ravager and casts her blizzard spells. I continue shooting and then the eidolon shoots twice at Sazh then does Pyroshot.

Me and Sazh keeps on shooting at the eidolon while Vanille is casting her blizzard spells. Brynhildr does Valkyrian Scythe on Sazh. Vanille shifts into Medic, casts Cure on Sazh, then shifts back into Ravager and casts Blizzara.

Sazh had about 40 seconds left, then the doom spell cancels. Brynhildr shifts into Gestalt mode, transforming and morphing into a flaming race car. Brynhildr runs around the field and parks right in front of Sazh.

Brynhildr glows and fades into crystal shards and Sazhs brand absorbs the eidolon.

After the fight, we all became real exhausted. Vanille bents down with her hands on her knees and pants. Sazh return to his senses and then he looks at Vanille. Sazh aims her gun at her. Vanille looks to see Sazh ready to shoot at her. I see what Sazh is doing and I become immediately disappointed.

"What the...Sazh!" I say, he does nothing but move closer to Vanille, which also causes Vanille to move back. When they stop on their tracks, I shove Sazh, causing him to fall on his butt. "So that's it!?" I bark at Sazh. "You're just gonna shoot her!? After the way she defended you from that eidolon, you're just gonna shoot her?!" Sazh doesn't say anything. "Sazh! Vanille didn't mean to hurt Dajh! It was an accident! She didn't mean to drag him into being a l'Cie! Do you honestly think that Vanille, an innocent, sweet kid, would really do anything to hurt a child? On purpose or by accident!? She already feels bad for what she's done!"

"How the hell would you know she feels bad!?" Sazh yells at me!

"Because I went through the same thing! When I killed my own father!" I yelled. Vanille gasps hearing that, and Sazh seems shocked. "I felt horrible for my mistake!" I roll up my sleeve, revealing the scars on my arm. "After his death, I've done nothing but hurt myself. Cutting my flesh with the same dagger that stabbed his heart." I roll the sleeve back down. I take a deep breath. "I wanted my father to come back, to undo the mistake I've made. I thought punishing myself would bring him back, but it won't. No matter what, he's not coming back...Is that what you think, Sazh? Would shooting Vanille make you happy? Would shooting Vanille bring Dajh back? Is it?"

Sazh doesn't say anything, he just stands back up on his feet and looks away. "You know what...I don't care anymore. Go ahead and shoot her!" I say, slowly moving out of the way. "I hope you'll be satisfied."

Sazh doesn't do anything at first, but then after a minute, he aims his gun at Vanille. Vanille doesn't do anything, but stand in place with her arms wide open. She looks at Sazh and closes her eyes, accepting her punishment. I just stand by and watch. I'm hoping that Sazh doesn't really shoot her. I slowly get a grip on my bow and an arrow, getting ready to take them out incase he does shoot her.

But Sazh doesn't, he starts to grit his teeth and eyes show regret. "A lot of things can be excused." I stand down, releasing my grip from my bow and quiver from hearing that, then Sazh lowers his gun. "Shooting kids ain't one."

Sazhs chocobo pops out of his hair and flies towards Vanille. Vanille covers her eyes with an arm, beginning to cry. Vanille gets down on her knees, burying her face in her hands sobbing even more. I walk up to Vanille. I kneel down beside her and hold her close in my arms, comforting her. Vanille shifts, laying her head on my shoulder and resting her hands on my arms.

Sazh holds his gun in front of him, looking at it, then he slowly aims his gun for the side of his head. The chocobo looks at Sazh and clucks loudly. Vanille stops sobbing and looks up with a gasp. From hearing her, I look up and then I become surprised to see Sazh is aiming for himself.

"Sazh?" I ask.

"Enough..." Sazh doesn't say anything else. I can tell what's gonna happen. At the same time, me and Vanille gasp in horror. Vanille buries her face in my chest. I do the same onto her shoulder, as I wrap my arm around her back and place my hand on her head. "Is enough."

BANG!

Just outside of the Fiendlord's Keep, is a path line of PSICOM troopers and an airship at the end of that line. Jihl stands in front of the airship, watching the troopers carrying a large coffin that's holding Sazh, and behind it is me and Vanille in the Purge robes.

"Do be careful with those." Jihl says, as the coffin comes to pass her. Me and Vanille looks up at the women, I just give her a bitter glare. "For every task...there's a perfect tool."

As me and Vanille are about to cross her, I just stomp on her foot, hard. Sure did give her quite a pain. Even the troopers behind us are pointing their guns at me.

I look over my shoulder, at Jihl. "Sorry...my bad." I say in a bitter sarcastic tone.

When me and Vanille are on board, Jihl and the rest of the PSICOM troopers got on as well, and the airship takes off.


	12. Nautilus II

A/N: This is also an unofficial chapter in Final Fantasy XIII, as in it does not exist in the game. I recently saw this fanfiction story: In Light there's Hope, I ran into chapter 9 of the story and I couldn't resist making something like that for this. I even started to wish it happened in the game. If only it was Lightning and Hope that goes to Nautilus instead of Vanille and Sazh. Or better yet, maybe Lightning and the others would have head there to find some clues about Sazh and Vanille or something like that. You could say I also made this chapter cause it's something I'd wish it should have happen in the game.

Anyways, I'd like to give the credit to the author of In Light there's Hope, Rakaia The Dragon Duelist, for the inspiration. Of course I wish I could finish that story he/she wrote. Honestly, I don't get why people post the stories chapter by chapter and just leave them incomplete, no offense Rakaia if you're reading this. I don't know about you guys, but it's driving me nuts. I wish they would just write the whole story and then do the chapter by chapter publishing when it's all done, that's what I did for the FF story here.

You guys should read In Light There's Hope, however, I wouldn't read chapter 10 of the story, at least until the story's updated, cause something happens in the end and it's leaving the story at a major cliffhanger, even I'm on the edge of my seat.

Reading chapter 10 of that story as the cliffhanger may include the possible side effects such as:

Craziness, fainting, nashua, smelly feet, being thirsty, sweating, amnesia, harassing the author, lack of sleep, bieber fever, screaming, uncontrollable crying, weird cravings, spine loss, seeing rainbows, madness, tasting colors, hearing ghosts, toe fungus, crushing on Miley Cyrus/Justin Bieber, itching and strange dreams.

Luckily, I'm not affected by any of the side effects. *Grabs hold of Rakaia and shakes him/her like mad* FINISH THE STORY ALREADY!

You guys do know I'm just teasing of everything I've side above, but I am serious about chapter 10 however. Reading that story when it's left with that major cliffhanger will probably drive you crazy. It's certainly doing that to me cause it's making me do all of this in the Author's Note. But I do hope Rakaia does finish his/her In Light There's Hope story.

Chapter 8 1/2: Nautilus II

It took almost all night to get to Nautilus, right about midnight. Lightning and the gang ride in the airship with Cid Raines. They're on their way to Nautilus to find me, Sazh and Vanille, in hope that it's not too late to find us before PSICOM does.

"We're arriving at Nautilus soon. Be ready." Cid says.

Snow and Fang gets ready by bandaging up their l'Cie brands, to cover them up since they're at their exposed part of their bodies. Lightning walks down the hallway to find Hope. Lightning arrives at the young boy. He's just sitting there, facing down at his lap. She can't really tell if he's upset or anything.

"Hey." Hope turns to see Lightning, he seems perfectly fine. He's not happy, but he's not sad or angry either. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." Hope says. Lightning sits right next to Hope. "Hey light?"

Lightning looks at Hope. "Hmm?"

"Have you ever been to Nautilus?" Hope asks.

"Mmm..." Lightning looks up at the ceiling of the hallway. "Only once, on guard duty." Lightning looks at Hope.

"What's it like?" Hope asks.

"Well, it is really something to see. Of course to me, it's really nothing but a big tourist trap." Lightning says. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." Hope says. "I've heard about the city, never really went there."

"You've never been to Nautilus?" Lightning asks.

"Well, I was about to...once." Hope looks up at Lightning, with a sad expression on his face. It's not really sad, just a small expression. "My mom was thinking of take me there after Bodhum, but then...well, you know." Hope looks down at his feet.

Lightning feels bad for Hope. She looks down at her feet as well, wondering what to say. 'I'm sorry' isn't really gonna cut it, and she knows 'Perhaps I can take you around for some fun' wouldn't work either since they're all on a mission to find their missing friends.

"I've heard about Nautilus, people called it 'City of Dreams'." Hope says.

"Hmm. Well, it is for everyone else." Lightning says. "Wasn't so much for me, since I'm not one for goofing off or getting on rides and stuff like that."

"I'm not surprised. You're all about seriousness and fighting." Hope says.

Lightning gives Hope a gentle punch on the shoulder. "Hey, watch it!"

Hope just laughs, knowing that Lightning's just messing with him. "Five minutes until landing." Cid Raines says on the announcement.

Lightning takes out a wristband, long enough to cover the l'Cie brand, and hands it to Hope. "We're about to land soon, you should cover up your brand."

Hope nods and takes the wristband.

The airship lands just outside of Nautilus. When it does, Lightning and the others arrive at Nautilus, when they arrive, they noticed everything's normal. To Lightning, it's just like how it was when she was here before: Crowded with thousands of people, all calm and happy, having fun even. No guards or any fights happening.

"Whoa." Hope looks around, amazed at the sight of this beautiful city. Lightning notices Hope, taking a look around. It was then he walks up to the railing, with his hands on the handle bars. Lightning can tell he wants to go out and have a good time.

"Everything seems normal." Snow says.

"Maybe. You think we beat PSICOM here?" Fang asks.

As Fang and Snow are talking, Lightning just watches Hope, noticing the poor boy is desperate to have some fun. Even what Hope said to her echoes into her head. 'I've heard about the city, never really went there.' 'My mom was gonna take me there after Bodhum, but then...well, you know.'

Lightning deeply sighs through her nose hearing that last part. _Oh Hope. I wish I could help._ Lightning thought.

"Hey...Hey soldier girl!" Hearing Fangs voice snaps Lightning out of her thought.

"What?"

"I was asking where you think Vanille and the others are at." Fang says. Lightning opens her mouth, but no words came out. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer that, not cause of the fact she doesn't know where they might be at. Fang sighs, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She can tell what's going on. "Go on."

Lightning looks confused. "Go on what?"

"Show the kid around." Fang says. Lightning widens her eyes open, then looks at Hope. "He's still just a kid, he should have fun. Don't you think he should?"

Lightning thinks about everything while looking at Hope, after hearing Fang's words. Hope's been through a lot in a middle of his vacation. All he wanted to do was have some fun with his mom. But instead, he was dragged into a war he wasn't suited for, lost his mother, forced to become allies with the man that took away his mother, lost his home and father, and to top it all off: Became a l'Cie.

Lightning can only imagine how she would feel if all of that happened to her if she was Hope. She even remembered how he was when they first met on Lake Bresha. Scared and helpless. Sad and angry. Lost and confused. He never wanted any of this, he never asked for any of this to happen and also, for what Lightning can assume despite Hope's gentle and kind nature other then wanting to take revenge on Snow, he didn't deserve any of this.

On that note, Lightning smiles a little. "Yeah...he does." Then she looks at Fang with her normal expression. "But, what about the others?"

"Don't worry, me and the blockhead here will search for them." Fang says.

Snow overheard that and becomes offended. "Hey!"

"You show Hope around and have some fun, we'll search around the city. We'll come find you if we find anything." Fang walks off and grabs Snow. "Come on! There's no time to waste."

Fang and Snow gets lost into the crowd. Lightning just stands there, thinking about what Fang suggests. Even if she wants to deny it, it's too late, since Fang and Snow are all ready long gone inside the crowd of hundreds.

Lightning decides to go with it, he deserves it at least, especially since his mother promised to take him here, which is a promise she could no longer fulfill, but Lightning can. Much like Snow couldn't fulfill his promise to take Hope home, but I had to. Of course the tables have turned on that since I left Lightning and Hope and Snow came in not long after I left and Lightning had left Hope with Snow.

Anyways, Lightning walks up to Hope, standing next to him. "Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah." Hope says. "I just...I wish my mom was here."

Lightning can understand the feeling. "Well, this isn't a place for mourning around." Lightning grabs Hopes hand. "Come on."

Lightning starts walking, with Hope being half dragged. Hope was also started by that. "Hey, Light. What are we doing?" Hope asks.

Lightning stops, then looks at Hope with a smile. "I'm gonna show you around." Then continues walking. Hope is a little surprised at first. Normally, when it comes to missions, Lightning would tell Hope 'We're on a mission. Stay focused.' He would never expect her to just drop the mission and go out and have some fun, especially in a place like Nautilus.

Fang and Snow stands right on the bridge hovering over a river. Fang just looks at the river, looking at and around it for any signs of me, Sazh and Vanille.

"So, what'd you suggest we do?" Snow asks.

"Look for clues." Fang says.

"Oh, I'm on it!" Snow removes his cap, then puts on an old detective hat, and a pipe (Not a real one, a fake one that blows bubbles. Though I wish it would be real since it's Snow that's using it. Serah would kill me if I made it a real pipe) Snow gently blows into the pipe, blowing the bubbles. Fang looks at Snow and seems surprised.

Fang just slaps that pipe out of Snows mouth. "Knock it off! We're on a mission, this isn't a time to be goofing off."

"Oh, so it's okay for Lightning to goof off with Hope?" Snow says.

"That's different!" Fang says. "Now take off that silly hat." Snow gives a grumpy look and then removes the hat. "Okay, two people searching in one big city for three missing friends." Fang points out. "I think it's best we split up and search for them."

"All right." Snow says. "If we see anything, well communicate with each other."

Fang nods. "Right." Fang walks off in one direction, when she's gone, Snow secretly puts the hat back on, then picks up the pipe. He wipes the reed and blows into the pipe again. "Lose the stupid outfit!" Fang shouts, not even looking back.

Hearing her voice, even at the 'lose' part, Snow nervously takes off the hat and pipe, then hides them behind him, whistling like nothing's happening.

As Fang and Snow wonders around looking for me, Vanille and Sazh, let's see how Lightning and Hope are doing. Hope is already running around at park square of the city, overwhelmed in excitement. Lightning just follows him with a smile on her face. She's happy for him but also concern a little, she doesn't want him to wonder too far and get into trouble. First time she was here, she ran into a couple of kids, some that were mostly younger then Hope, that had the same problem. She can still remember those lost little kids she had to babysit while looking for their parents.

Hope sees everyone gathering at Main Street, he wonders what it could be. He runs back to Lightning, grabs her hand and drags her through the crowd. When they made it to the front row of the crowd, they can see there's a parade happening, the Pompa Sancta Parade that everyone's been talking about.

Lightning and Hope looks up at the giant sphere in the air, noticing the show's about to start, with a giant clock made out of glowing light. Which time the hand moves, the number flips. Hope notices something then takes off to it. Lightning noticed him going off, but then notices he's only going to the cart that sells cotton candy.

_Still just a kid. _Lightning thought as she slowly shook her head, smiling at the boy. She looks back up at the big sphere, noticing the show's just about to begin. When the clocks hand makes it back to the top, Lightning's next vision is come pink cloud. She was surprised at first, but then sees Hope is really handing her some cotton candy. Lightning can see he's holding two cotton candies, and he's giving her the pink one.

"I don't do sweets." Lightning tells Hope. Lightning does think it's nice Hope wants to offer her a treat, and have it match her hair as well.

Hope just smiles. "Just try it."

Lightning hesitates as she grabs the Cotton Candy cone. She just holds it in front of her, looking at the pink sugar cloud. _Just go with it._ Lightning takes a bite of the cotton candy. She feels a little weird feeling it melting fast in her mouth, but other then that, she realizes how delicious it is. _How long has it been since I had cotton candy?_

"Lightning! Look!" Hope was shaking Lightning's free arm. She looks at Hope at first, then looks up to see bright lights happening, then the lights of the tower rushing on upwards. When the star on top shines, thousands of dishes starts falling from the sky.

Hope catches one of them, and then a Carbuncle appears from the disk, glowing in light blue with a red gem on its head. Hope smiles and chuckles at the little Carbuncle. Lightning looks down at the Carbuncle and smiles as well. The Carbuncle flies off, Lightning and Hope don't take their eyes off of the little creature.

The Carbuncle flies around the area in the air with a bunch of other Carbuncles. The Carbuncles starts creating water rings in the air, and hologram dancers of water appears on the water rings. In the center of those rings are hologram harp players. Lightning and Hope are enjoying the show, as the water rings start to float away from each other.

In the crowd, Snow and trying to pass his way through the people. "Excuse me, pardon me. Hey...watch it!" Snow arrives at the front line of the crowd. "Okay...Where are...oh." Snow's attention becomes captured at the parade happening in front of him. The hologram dances starts waving around in the air as the water rings turn into red flaming rings, and most of the holograms turn to fire as well. "Wow..." Snow shakes his head. "Focus, Snow, focus!" Snow wonders back into the crowd. "Excuse me, coming through."

"Wow." Hope says as he watches the parade. Lightning's glad Hope's having a fun time. The fire dancers starts to do some kind of summon dance, then in the center of a flame ring, wave of flames rises, and then a sinister laughter happens.

The flames die down, revealing one evil l'Cie. "With Pulse-born spite, and savage might! I will destroy Cocoon!" The evil l'Cie says.

Hope and Lightning, mostly Hope, seems a little surprised to see this. Lightning looks down at Hope, he has his attention to the show with a shocked expression, but she notices he's slowly placing his hand on his wristband, that's covering his l'Cie brand, as he watches the evil l'Cie unleashing a breath of hologram fire over the crowd. Lightning feels a little sad for Hope, she can tell what he's thinking.

Lightning puts a hand on Hopes shoulder, Hope looks up at Lightning with a flinch, noticing a soft smile, that's saying to him 'It's okay.' Lightning then leans into Hope's ear and whispers to him. "Forget about being a l'Cie. Just have some fun."

Hope smiles back then nods, and returns his attention to the show. The fire dancers and starts dancing around the water dancers, and at their finishing moves, the water dancers vanish. The vanished dancers comes together and a gust of wind starts to form. The very sight of what happens next really surprises Hope. The wind forms into another l'Cie, but a good one.

"With trusty blade, and fal'Cie's aid. I will defend Cocoon!" The two l'Cie begins the fight. "To battle!"

Lightning seems amazed at the fight here. _Well, looks like things just got interesting. _She thought. The two l'Cie battles in the air, the crowd cheers with excitement at the show, even Hope's most excited. Lightning couldn't help but smile seeing the little boy excited.

Lightning returns her attention to the show to see the two l'Cie's transform into Ragnarok and Valefor. The two l'Cie's clashes with each other, causing a bright light that's nearly blinding the citizens. When the light clears, Cocoon appears with its shell broken and the pieces circle the planet.

Everyone cheers at the end, all expect for Lightning. She wasn't really upset or anything, she just have her attention to Hope, he's cheering as well for the parade. When the parade ends, the crowd walks around the city. Even Snow is wondering around, shouting out for us.

"Sazh! Patrick! Vanille!" No one responds to him. After the shouting, Snow stops for a moment, then pieces his fingers on his head and sighs. "Where could they be?" Just then, his communicator starts ringing. Snow flips it open and holds it to his ear. "Fang? Found anything?"

"Nothing yet. What about you?" Fang asks.

"Nope. Lady luck's not on my side tonight." Snow says.

Fang just laughs hearing that. "We'll find them. Don't worry." Fang says. "Any eye on PSICOM?"

"Nope. Haven't seen them." Snow says.

"Well keep your eyes out for them. They could be anywhere." Fang hangs up, and Snow does the same.

Lightning and Hope takes a walk down the Nautilus Park, where something caught Hope's attention. "Lightning, come here."

Hope drags Lightning. "Whoa, Hope." Hope drags Lightning to some photo booth. Lightning wasn't sure about it, but she doesn't have a choice since Hope already dragged her into it. Hope pays the machine the 25 gil requirement.

"Just do what I do." Hope says. Hope starts off with a silly face, but sticking his tongue out and placing his fingers under his eyelids, pulling them down. Lightning feels a little weird about doing it, but decides to humor the boy. Lightning mimics his face. Flash! Hope makes a second silly face, by putting his fingers in the corners of his lips and pulling them down, with his upper teeth showing. Lightning does the same. Flash! The next one, Hope does Lightning's usual expression, the cold glare some might say. Lightning does the same without even trying, cause it's her normal expression. Flash! For the final one, Hope sucks in his cheeks, puckered his lips and crossed his eyes. Lightning thinks that looks disturbing, but goes ahead and do it. Flash!

Lightning and Hope leaves the photo booth, and then Hope receives the photos. He looks at them and just laughs. Lightning just rolls her eyes, and then the machine prints out her copies. Lightning takes the photos, after giving them a look, she decides it was kind of funny and gives a giggle. She even laughed when she looked at the 'Cold glare' look. She looked all right doing it, but she thought Hope looked funny doing it.

When she was done looking at the photos, they continue walking around. Hope looks around as they walk, and notices a hallway leading to the Chocobo Corral. Hope grabs Lightnings hand and takes her to the corral. Just as soon as they are here, they've already found a Chocobo to pet. Hope reached to its ears and scratches it from behind. The chocobo kwehed happily and start flapping its wings fast, but gently, Hope can tell it really enjoys it.

Just then, Fang starts entering the Chocobo Corral. "Vanille! Vanille!" Fang shouts. "Van-" Fang becomes interrupt by the sight of Lightning and Hope. She can see the expression on their faces, they are smiling, having fun. To Lightning, Fang is surprised. From what Snow told her, and how Lightning's been around her lately, she's not really a kind of person to enjoy fun. Fang just smiles with her arms crossed. "Well, well, looks like soldier girl's having some fun."

Fang watches Hope grabbing some greens, chocobo fed, he offers some to Lightning. Lightning just shook her head, but Hope pushes her into feeding the Chocobos. He places the greens on her hands and have her hold them out.

"Seems like Hope's having a fun time. Nice work, Lightning." Fang says and then she turns around and makes her way out of park square, resuming her search. As the chocobo feds out of Lightnings hands, she smiles, realizing it's not as bad as she thought. It actually kind of tickles. Hope pets the chocobo while it's eating. When it's done, the chocobo rubs its head on Lightnings chest, going up to her neck and cheek.

Lightning was surprised at first, but then smiles and laughs afterwards. "Hey, looks like someone likes you." Hope says with a smile. He's glad to see Lightning having fun too. It's always a rare chance to see her smiling, laughing too.

Lightning looks at the chocobo while putting on hand under it's beak and using the other one to pet it on the head. "Well, looks like someone likes him back too." Lightning says.

Hope chuckles hearing that. When Lightning was done, she takes a look around, but made sure she's still within the area. While Hope is petting the Chocobos, Lightning notices this one poster on the wall.

The poster is showing a chocobo race that's about to start. Lightning looks back at Hope then smiles. Lightning goes to a booth the poster says it's at, then she affords two tickets. Lightning returns to Hope, who seems to be looking for Lightning.

Hope is glad that he found her. "Hey, Lightning. Where did you go?"

"I have something for you." Lightning says, showing the two tickets.

Hope grabs one of them and reads what it's for. Hope is surprised at first, then he looks up at Lightning and smiles.

Meanwhile, Snow is walking around the station, asking around the citizens. "Excuse me, have you seen any of my friends?" Snow asks. "One's a young girl, about this tall, red hair in ponytails."

The lady shook her head. "Nope, haven't seen them."

Snow walks to a man and asks him. "Excuse me, I'm looking for my friends. One's about this tall, black hat, carries a bow."

"Nope, sorry." The man says.

Snow walks up to a young couple. "I'm sorry to interfere, but have you seen an old man. Brown, afro, green jacket, carries a chocobo in his hair?"

Both of them shock their heads. Snow sighs in annoyance getting these answers, then he walks up to the counter lady. "Welcome to Nautilus, the city of dreams-"

Snow quickly interrupts her. "I know, I know. Listen, I'm looking for my friends. Have you seen them?" Snow asks. "One of them is a brown man, green jacket, afro, has a baby chocobo in his hair. Another one is young girl, with red hair in ponytails, always cheerful and happy. The last one is a boy, kind of stubborn, black hat and carries a bow with a quiver of arrows."

The counter lady thinks for a moment. "Hmm...well, I'm not sure about the hunter, but I did see the man and young lady." The counter lady says. "I believe they were heading to the Chocobo Corral."

Snow smiles and nods. "Thanks."

Lightning and Hope arrives at the stadium where the race is taking place. When they're inside, they make their way through the crowd to get to their seats on the front row. Hope sits down while Lightning leaves for a moment.

The race is about to begin, and Hope looks back constantly for Lightning. He doesn't want her to miss the race. In about five minutes, Lightning returns with a medium popcorn.

"Did I miss anything?" Lightning asks, sitting down.

"No." Hope grabs a handful of the popcorn. "It's about to start."

Lightning and Hope turns their attention to the race course. At the sound of a horn going off, the race begins, and some silly chocobo theme plays as the race goes on.

Lightning and Hope watches the race. Lightning constantly looks at Hope, then back at the race. She smiles to see how much Hope is enjoying the race. The race goes on for about ten minutes, and the Black number 4 Chocobo wins.

Everyone stands and cheers with excitement, even Hope. Lightning just sits on her seat, looking at Hope. She's just glad he's having some fun.

"Thanks, Fang." Lightning says to herself.

Meanwhile, Fang is running around in Main Street, where the parade happened. Fang is asking many people. "Hey, have you seen a young lady? Red hair, ponytails? Hey, have you seen a girl? This tall, pink top, have a fur pelt around her waist? Excuse me, I'm looking for my friend. She's this tall, red hair in ponytails."

All the answers she received are 'no' Fang sighs in depression, just as she's about to give up, her communicator rings. She flips it open and places it near her ear. "Snow. What's up?"

"I think I found something. Come to the Chocobo Corral." Snow says.

"I'm on it." Fang shuts off the communicator and rushes to the Chocobo Corral.

Lightning and Hope walks around the Nautilus Park, looking for something to do. All of these games and rides, Hope is overwhelmed in excitement. Lightning just follows the boy, smiling and laughing. She wonders where'd he got all this energy from. It's as if Vanille's taking over him. One of the game booths catches Hopes attention. A ring toss game.

Lightning stands by watching Hope play the game. Hope wins the game with all three rings in the same bottle, Lightning was surprised. "Nice shot." Lightning says.

Hope wins a stuffed Carbuncle from the game, he hands it to Lightning. Lightning is surprised and looks at Hope. "For you."

Lightning hesitates then takes the stuffed carbuncle. She then smiles at Hope. "Thanks."

Hope moves on to another game, a test your strength booth. Lightning notices his attention is at one of the prizes hanging. One of them is a toy sword, but she notices it looks more like her weapon. Lightning realized it could be a toy gunblade. She's pretty surprised they make those.

Hope picks up the heavy mallet, he has trouble keeping it in the air, he's not exactly all muscles. Lightning just stands back and watches him as he slams the mallet on the target in front of him. Well, it was more like the mallet falling on its own, using it's own weight. The metal ball didn't get over two feet off the ground. It even stopped at 'Little girl'.

Hope groans in disappointment. Seeing that made Lightning think back at the Gapra Whitewood.

_"Could I use one of those?"_

_"Bit too heavy for you."_

_Hope sighs. "Okay."_

_Maybe he wants one._ Lightning thought as he walks up to Hope. Lightning pulls Hope aside, and hands him the carbuncle doll. Lightning cracks her knuckles, then cracks her neck. She grabs the mallet and, just like that, smashes it on the target, like it was no problem.

The ball goes up and up until...Ding! hits the bell. Lightning wins the toy gunblade, then she hands it, or trades it is more like it, to Hope for her stuffed carbuncle. "Thanks." Hope says.

"Don't sweat it." Lightning says with a smile. Lightning and Hope looks around the amusement park. They walk up to a furriest wheel. They take their seats, and as soon as they did, it starts. Lightning and Hope sits next to each other, watching the view of the city. When they're at the top, they look up at the sky, looking at the stars. Lightning smiles, amazed at the beauty of the twinkling lights in the darkness.

"Hey, Light?" Hope asks.

Lightning looks at Hope. "What is it?" She asks.

Hope doesn't say anything, he's trying to find the right words. Hope looks down at the handlebars he and Lightning are holding on to, then he puts a hand on top of hers and looks up into her eyes. "Thanks for bringing me here. I know we're on a mission but...it was nice to have some fun with you."

Lightning just smiles and ruffles the young boys hair. "Don't mention it." Lightning and Hope looks back at the view, which becomes blocked as soon as they started coming down. "Actually, I should be thanking you."

"Why?" Hope asks.

"I had a lot of fun with you, Hope." Lightning looks at Hope. "I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid...when my parents were alive. Spending time with you...I feel like a kid again."

Hope just smiles and wraps an arm around her arm, until they were holding hands.

After about fifteen minutes, the furriest wheel ends and Lightning and Hope gets off. "That was a nice view." Hope says. "Wish I could see it again."

Lightning thinks when she hears that, she remembers something she had done, more like forced to do, when she was on guard duty in Nautilus. Lightning grabs Hopes hand.

"Come on." Lightning says, walking off with Hope.

"Hey, where are we going?" Hope asks.

"I want to show you something." Lightning says.

Meanwhile, Fang makes it to the Chocobo Corral. She finds Snow at the end of the path. "There you are." She also notices Snow is wearing his hat and blowing into his pipe. "I thought I told you to lose that stupid outfit!"

"Oh this?" Snow asks, showing the pipe. "It's not part of the outfit. I just got bored waiting here."

Fang walks up to Snow and points at his hat. "What about the hat then?"

"Hey, I paid good money for this hat, and I'm gonna wear it!" Snow says.

Fang just slaps that hat off of Snow. "No you're not."

"Killjoy." Snow says under his breath.

"So what's up?" Fang asks.

"Take a look at that." Snow says.

Fang looks where Snow's pointing at, and sees the gate towards the mall. It's covered in PSICOM tape, with a large banner in the middle of the gate that says 'This area is off limits by order of PSICOM. Do not cross until further notice.'

Fang walks up to the gate until she's standing in front of the tape that's blocking her way. "PSICOM, huh? You think this has something to do with our friends?"

"Could be. Why else would PSICOM block this passage?" Snow asks.

"Well, let's find out." Fang says, making her way through the tape. Snow follows her. They cross the bridge and entered the mall, only to find hundreds of dead PSICOM and damaged grounds. "Whoa! What do you think happened here?"

Snow takes a look around. "Let's see. Three l'Cie against a hundred PSICOM troops. They've managed to kill them all, and also manage some damage. They couldn't have done this alone, one of them must had an eidolon with them."

"Makes sense." Fang walks over to the path, and checks the body. "There's a trail of corpses here. Many of them are shot...both bullets and arrows."

Snow walks up to Fang. "That's Sazh and Patrick all right. If they're were here, then Vanille must have been with them as well."

Fang follows the trail of corpses. "The trail. It leads all the way too..." Fang looks up where the end of the trail, from line of sight that is, leads to. "The clock tower!"

Snow rises his fist in front of him. "Let's go!" Snow and Fang runs, following the trail towards the clock tower.

Meanwhile, Lightning and Hope starts climbing the wall of Nautilus. Lightning's climbing like it's nothing, while Hope's struggling down below. Hope starts panting and then stops, looking up at Lightning.

"Light...should I ask what you're trying to show me?" Hope asks.

Lightning makes it to the top, then she reaches down for Hope. "You'll see." Hope grabs Lightnings hand and then Lightning pulls him up. Hope gets on his hands and knees, only when he does, he starts slipping back down, Lightning manages to catch him. "Careful. It's a little slippery."

Lightning pulls Hope back up. Hope stands on his knees and takes a look ahead, he sees a view of the city, all light up in bright lights. "Whoa! It's so beautiful." Hope says.

"It sure is." Lightning says. Lightning and Hope sits on the wall, watching the view. "When I was on guard duty, my partner, he took me up here and showed me this view."

"What did you think of it?" Hope asks.

"At first, I didn't enjoy it, cause it was restricted, even for a Guardian Corp." Lightning says. "I was even about to report him, but then he convinced me to stay for a few minutes. After that...I just decided to stay and watch."

"And did you like it?" Hope asked.

"I did...until he decided to make a move." Lightning says. Hope looked surprised doing that. "He wrapped an arm around me, pulled me close and tried the kiss me."

"What did you do after that?" Hope asks, he knows Lightning too well to let him get away with something like that.

"I punched him in the face." Lightning answers. "By blow caused him to fall off the wall. Ended up with a bloody nose, broken arm and leg, and he lost nearly about all of his teeth." Hope's completely shocked hearing that last part.

"Yikes. Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Hope asks.

"Hmm...no, he got what he deserved." Lightning says, anything a laugh from the boy.

Lightning and Hope watches the view, with a gentle breeze blowing through their hair. After a moment of silence, Lightning sighs a little upset. "Hope...I'm sorry."

Hope looks at Lightning. "Why?"

"It's my fault you got dragged into this." Lightning looks at Hope. "I didn't mean to turn you into a l'Cie. I was just mad and scared of losing my sister...I fought that fal'Cie without thinking. I didn't think about what happened to us and I didn't care. All I wanted was to save Serah."

Hope places his hand on Lightning's. "It's not your fault, Light, and I don't blame you. I know I would have done the same when my mother got turned into crystal."

Lightning just laughs a little hearing that, she knows he defiantly would do that despite what he tried to do with Snow cause he took away Nora. "But I am sorry, Hope. I swear, If I could remove this curse from you, I would do it."

"You don't have to, Light." Hope says.

"But I want to...Remember what I said back in Palumpolum?" Hope wondered which one she meant, but then remembers the one she said when she hugged him. He nodded. "I mean what I said Hope." Lightning puts a hand on Hopes head and gently brushes his silver hair. "I'll always protect you. If you got turned into a Cie'th, because of me. I don't know how I'll live with myself."

"Sounds like you've been hanging with Patrick too much." Hope jokes. "I don't think I will. We know what our Focus is, and we're gonna complete it." Lightning smiles at Hope. "Hey, Light. I want to know, you didn't seem to get along with Patrick very well. Do you...not like him?"

Lightning looks back at the view and sighs. "It's not that I don't like him, not like Snow. I thought Patrick was different cause he's a Mercenary and...well." Lightning looks back at Hope. "Sometimes you can't trust those kind of people, since they would only care about money."

"Well, what about Serah? Didn't she convince you to get along with him or something?" Hope asks.

Lightning shock her head. "Not really, I didn't find out about Patrick until a few days ago on my birthday. It's like Serah kept him a secret from me." Lightning looks down with little shame. "I still remember that night...when he visited after Serah was taken."

[Flashback: Day 12 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

Lightning sits on the couch, looking down at the picture frame of her and Serah. Tears are filling the soldier girls eyes. Today is defiantly her worst birthday ever. Her party guests is an idiot doofus she can't stand, a Mercenary who she just met. Serah admitted she became a l'Cie and that she wanted to marry Snow. But the worst pat of it all: Serah was taken away.

Lightning starts to regret everything she had said to Serah. 'If you really are a l'Cie. It's my job to deal with you'. Maybe if she had believed in Serah, would she still would have saved her? Snow and I tried to help her, mostly me, but what happened? She got trapped in the Bodhum Vestige, and PSICOM captured the vestige.

Lightning holds the picture close to her, hugging it. She lets out a sorrow sigh and lets the tears escape her eyes, sliding down on her cheeks.

I arrive at the front steps of Serah's and Lightning's. I'm pretty sadden about losing Serah, and I just know Lightning's probably feeling the same. I've decided to talk to the girl, see what I can do for her. Of course I'm not sure how that'll work since we've just met, and she'll probably just see me as some criminal.

I arrive to find Lightning on the couch, softly crying in the dark. "Hey."

Lightning looks back to find me leaning on the side of the door. Lightning notices it's only me then gives me a glare of sorrow and anger. "What do you want?"

"I'm just checking on you." I say, standing straight and walking in. "I figured you would be upset about what happened with Serah."

"Well, I am. Now go away." Lightning says, looking back down in front of her.

I'm a bit surprised to hear Lightning say that. "Listen, Lightning..."

"Are you deaf? I said go away!" Lightning says, her voice raising in anger.

"I know how you're feeling. Serah is important to me as much as she is to you." I say. Nothing but silence comes from Lightning. "It's not too late. We can still save her. All we need to do is take the Purge, break into the Vestige and rescue her."

Lightning shots back at me with her glare. After looking at me for about five seconds, she looks forward, places the picture on the table in front of the couch, then stands, turning to face me.

"Get. Out!" Lightning points her arm at the door at the 'out'.

"Lightning. I'm just trying to be a friend. I'm just trying to help you." I say.

Lightning clenches her fists hear that. She walks up to me. At first, she looks at me with her anger tearful eyes, then she punches me hard in the jaw. I stumble back, nearly falling as I grabbed the small table holding a vase for support.

"I am not your friend! You are a Mercenary! A criminal! All you ever cared about is making money! Why the hell would I ever be friends with you!" Lightning shouts at me.

I get back on my feet, looking at Lightning. "How can you say that? You didn't even give me a chance!"

Lightning punches me again, causing me to fall onto the floor again. "I don't need to! I can already tell exactly who you are!" I look back at Lightning hearing that, still on the floor. "You may have Serah believed you with this stupid act of yours, but you can't fool me!" Me and Lightning doesn't say anything. After a moment of silence, Lightning speaks. "Get out of my house. NOW! ...And never come back."

I'm pretty shocked at hearing that. For a respond, I close my eyes and give a small hum. I stand back on my feet, wiping my vest, then look at Lightning. "If that's what you wish..." My tone was cold and stale, like I don't even care.

I turn to the front door and make my leave. Lightning just stands there, watching me leave. When I'm out the door, I stopped then speak. "I don't understand what's your problem." I turn to face Lightning. "Yes, I am a Mercenary. But haven't you stopped and asked yourself why I am one. I have my reasons for everything, as do everyone else. Serah was smart enough to know the kind of person I really am, even after she found out I became a Mercenary. Why can't you do the same? Why can't you look past this Mercenary nonsense and look inside of me? I tell you this, Lightning Farron: If you just a book by it's cover...you're only gonna end up hurting yourself."

Lightning doesn't say anything, just glares at me as her hair flows through the wind that's blowing in. Only silence comes in between us I turn my back on Lightning. "I hope that one day...you'll understand."

I continue walking off. Lightning just watches me leave, when she had enough, she scoffs and turns away.

[Flashback ends]

Hope was surprised to hear all this. "You really said that to him? Even after what he said and what he tried to do for Serah?" Lightning slowly nods. "Well, I don't blame her from keeping Patrick a secret from you." Hope says.

Lightning nods. "Yeah..."

"How long as Serah and Patrick been together?" Hope asks.

Lightning looks puzzled. She honestly has no idea how long me and Serah were friends. "I don't really know, they never said." Lighting looks down a little. She bends her legs back, her knees up to her chest, and rests her elbows on her knees. "I didn't think Patrick was different. I never knew what he's been through all these years...especially about his dad."

Even Hope looks a little sad. "Yeah. I can't believe he would do such a thing."

"Yeah, well, what worries me most is his guilt. It's like he doesn't know what he did was the right thing." Lightning looks down at her feet. "I'm starting to regret what I told him back at the Vestige. I should have been happy Serah completed her Focus. If she didn't...then I could have..."

Lightning holds her hands in front of her, looking down at her palms. Lightning slightly gasps at the thought of killing Serah. She could almost see herself, hovering over her sister's lifeless Cie'th body, with Serah's blood staining her hands.

Lightning drops her hands and sighs, shaking her head back into reality. "It must have been hard for him to do it." Lightning straightens her legs out.

"Probably." Hope looks back at the view, and then looks surprised. "Lightning, look!"

Lightning looks ahead, and sees fireworks flying towards the sky and exploding in the air, with many different colors of light dancing in the air. "Fireworks..." Lightning says in silence.

Lightning and Hope are both amazed at the beauty of the exploding lights, gazing at them, Lightning looks at Hope, noticing he's making a silent prayer. She just laughs and ruffles his hair, snapping him out of his trance.

"Wishing on fireworks?" Lightning asks. "You know this isn't Bodhum on that night."

"I know, I just couldn't help it." Hope says. "It's pretty silly isn't it?"

Lightning shock her head. "Not really. I was wishing on fireworks that night too." Hope smiles. "So, what did you wish for?"

Hope looks back at the view. "I-I can't tell you, it's kind of embarrassing."

Lightning can understand why he would feel that way, just like he did when he was upset about his mothers death. Lightning puts a hand on his chin, and makes him face her, with a smile on her face.

"You and I are partners, Hope." Lightning says.

Hope thinks back to when she told him that. It convinced him to tell her what happened, and he knows it's going to do the same now, and it has.

"What I wished for...when it's over...I mean, after we complete our Focus...I wish we could be together." Lightning is both surprised and confused to hear that. "As soon as we turn into crystals, that we would wake up, all together. And then...W-we could all live together. You and me. Serah, Snow, Vanille, Fang and Sazh...Patrick of course. I guess after the Sanctum took my dad away, and with my mother killed...I just feel so alone."

Hope looks down, a little bit in mourning. Lightning pulls Hope into a hug, his head laying against her chest. "You're not alone, Hope. You never were and you never will be." Lightning says. Lightning ends the hug and smiles at Hope, giving him a stroke in his hair. "I am right here for you. We'll always be together, no matter what."

Hope smiles and then nods. "Yeah, you're right...The reason I made that wish is...well, is because...ever since my mom died, I've always relayed on you. From when I first met you, up to right now...you've always felt like a sister to me." Lightning doesn't say anything, she's pretty speechless. "It sounds stupid doesn't it?"

Lightning laughs and wraps an arm around Hope, pulling him close to her. "Not really. Up from when I had to face Odin, you've always felt like a little brother to me."

Hope smiles hearing that. "Well then, I guess we're on the same page."

"Hey. When all of this is over, if you want...you can come live with us." Hope is surprised to hear that. "You could become a Farron."

"Really? Are you sure?" Hope asks.

Lightning nods. "I don't mind. I do care for you, Hope, plus your father asked me to take care of you before we left. Also, you've gotta live somewhere. You're too young to be on your own, lost your mother, and your dad is now in the hands of the sanctum...and even if he did live in the end, I had a feeling you two wouldn't get along very well and you'll end up leaving."

Hope gives a single chuckle and nods. "You can count on that. I wonder what Serah would say if she's here." Hope says.

"Probably would feel happy, she always did wanted a little brother." Lightning says.

Hope just laughs hearing that, then returns his attention to the fireworks and sighs. "I wish my mom was here...she would love this."

Lightning silently sighs hearing that, then remembers something. She also knows it's the right time for it. "Hope..." Hope looks at Lightning. "I have something for you."

Lighting reaches into the leather pouch wrapped around her upper leg, and then takes out Nora's necklace. Hope is surprised to see it, he recognizes the necklace is his mothers. "That's my...how did you-"

"Before I went to check Snow, I talked to your father. He...he wants me to give this to you, and I agreed. I just know your mother would want you to have it. Just like Patrick's mother did for him." Lightning explains.

Hope was speechless. "Lightning...I...I don't know what to say."

Lightning just giggles a little. "Well, here then." Lightning wraps the chain around Hopes neck and clasps it. "Looks good on you."

Hope looks down at the necklace as it rests on his palm, then looks back at Lightning with a smile and tears escaping his eyes. "Thank you." Hope hugs Lightning, and then she hugs him back. "I love you, Light."

Lightning can feel tears escaping her eyes as well. "I love you too, Hope." Lightning kisses Hope on the cheek. After the hug, Lightning and Hope returns to the view, the fireworks are still popping. Lightning has an arm wrapped around Hope, pulled him close to her. Hope just lays his head on her shoulder, engulfed in happiness and butterflies.

"I wish this moment could last forever." Hope says.

Lightning looks down at Hope, and grabs his hand with her free arm. "You know what?" Lightning looks back at the view. "I do too."

After a few minutes of silence, Lightning looks at Hope, she noticed his eyes are closed and his breathing is slow and steady, with a smile on his lips. Lightning just smiles and laughs quietly. He's asleep.

_I guess having fun can be exhausting as well. _Lightning thinks. Lightning gives Hope a gentle stroke on his hair, then down at his cheek. Hope's smile widens and he moans peacefully. Lightning just giggles. _He's so adorable._

Lightning stands up, carries Hope on her back in a piggy back position and carefully makes her way back down.

While she's making her way down, let's see how Fang and Snow are doing. Fang and Snow arrive at the Clock Tower area. They find themselves hiding behind some crates as they look to see some PSICOM troops clearing up the dead bodies.

"It could take days, maybe weeks, to clean up this mess." One of the soldiers says.

"PSICOM." Snow says.

"So what's the plan, hero boy?" Fang asks.

"Heroes don't need a plan." Snow says. "I'd say we take them out!"

Snow rushes into the PSICOM group. The soldiers sees Snow coming. "Intruder!"

The rest of the group sees Snow coming, by the time they do, Snow already knocked out one of them. Fang jumps out of the crate with her lance in her hand. Fang lands right on one of the soldiers, stabbing him with her lance.

The soldiers starts shooting at Snow and Fang. Snow and Fang quickly shifts into Sentinel and defends themselves with Snows Steelguard and Fangs Mediguard. The soldiers just keeps on shooting, but then stops. They are surprised the shoots made almost no affect of them.

Fang and Snow quickly shifts into Commando and starts beating up the soldiers. Snow grabs one of them and does a take down with it. Fang strikes the soldiers with her lance. In almost no time, all the PSICOM soldiers were defeated.

"Didn't put up much of a fight, huh?" Snow says.

Fang walks around. "Guess they're really just here for clean up duty." Fang stands at the entrance to the Fiendlord's Keep. "Maybe they went in there."

"Well, the trail ends right here, mostly cause of clean up." Snow says. "But I suppose they could be." Snow and Fang enters the hallway to the Fiendlord's Keep. They arrive at the Fiendlord's Keep, to find no one in here. "Dead end?"

"Looks like it." Fang says.

After taking a look, they decided to turn around and leave, just when they did, Snow hears something. "Wait." Snow turns around, it sounds like...chirping. Snow looks to see a little chocobo flying towards him. "What?" The little chocobo flies in front of Snow. Snow cups his hands together and the chocobo lands on it.

"A baby chocobo?" Fang asks.

"Yeah...Sazh has one just like this." Snow says. "He keeps it in his hair."

The little chocobo does a little jump on Snows hands. "The little fella does seem to recognize you."

The little chocobo flies away from Snow, heading towards the throne in the Fiendlords Keep. Snow figured it wants him to follow it, so that's what he does. The chocobo lands right in the center of the area. Snow and Fang looks down at it to find out it's standing on a necklace. A diamond heart necklace...my necklace.

Snow bends down at the necklace. "Is that..." The little chocobo jumps off the necklace as Snow reaches for it and takes it. Snow stands in front of Fang, and see takes a look at it.

"A necklace?" Fang asks. "I don't remember Vanille having one."

"She doesn't." Snow says. "This necklace, it was Patrick's."

Fang suddenly remembers when we first met, back in Lake Bresha. She does recall seeing me wearing that necklace, but she probably didn't bother to notice or ask. Fang just crosses her arms. "You saying it's really his? There's like thousands of these necklace's. It could be anyone's."

"Maybe." Snow says, looking at the necklace, then he turns his attention to Fang. "Let's go see Lightning, she might know something."

"All right. But she might still be having fun." Fang says.

Snow is surprised to hear this. "What? Lightning having fun? You're joking."

"I'm not. Before you called me, I saw her and Hope. The kid was having fun, and so was she." Fang says.

"Wow...Fun Lightning. I might get use to her." Snow says.

Fang just laughs and then she and Snow leaves. Lightning finally makes her way down the wall, with Hope still asleep on her back. She carries Hope back to the airship, only just when she arrives at the station, that's when Fang and Snow finds her.

"Hey, sis." Lightning sees Snow and Fang coming to her. "We've searched everywhere and then we..." Snow notices Hope on her. He's out cold to Snows eyes. "Hey, what did you do to the kid?"

Lightning hushes Snow. "He's asleep." Lightning says in a quiet tone.

Fang just walks up to Lightning and looks up at Hope. "Aww, the little kid must have gotten tired from having fun." Fang ruffles the young boys hair.

Lightning just rolls her eyes, and then they make their way to the airship. Once onboard, Lightning lays Hope down in one of the beds in the bunk room. Hope rests on the bed as Lightning pulls the cover over his body. When done, Lightning looks at Hope. She smiles, and gives him a gentle stroke on his cheek, then gives him a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Hope." Lightning whispers to him. When she leaves him, Hope mumbles in his sleep and shifts his position.

Lightning meets up to Fang and Snow in the bridge, with a serious look. "How'd with go with the kid?" Fang asks.

"It was...fine." Lightning says.

"Fine? I heard you had fun!" Snow wraps an arm around Lightning and pulls her close. "I heard you became fun Lightning. You enjoy to have some fun!"

Snow just laughs. With that, Lightning gets angry. She grabs his arm painfully, removes it from her shoulders and jerks it behind his back. Snow groans painfully, then Lightning flips Snow, causing him to fall on the ground.

"And Lightning's back." Fang says.

Snow gets back on his feet. Lightning clears her throat. "So, what happened? Where are the others?"

"We've searched everywhere." Fang explains. "We couldn't find them, but we did found something."

"We found a restricted area at the end of the Chocobo Corral. Under PSICOM's order." Snow says. "We took that path, and then at the end, we found something interesting." Snow reveals the little chocobo. Lightning is a little surprised to see it as it jumps off of Snows hands, and then it land on Lightnings as she holds her hands out when it flies towards her. "We think it could be Sazh's chocobo."

"It seems to recognize Snow." Fang says. The little chocobo jumps on Lightnings hand, then jumps onto her shoulder. "It seems to recognize you too."

"Yeah...maybe it is his." Lightning says. "Anything else?"

Fang takes out my necklace. "There's this." Lightning widens her eyes open seeing it. She recognizes that necklace, when I showed it to her back in Lake Bresha. Lightning takes the necklace and gets a close look at it. "Snow believes it's Patrick's."

Lightning looks at the back of the diamond heart, and writes what's on it. "It's his all right."

"How can you tell?" Snow asks.

"He showed me this back in Lake Bresha. Before you and the others caught up." Lightning holds the necklace out. "On the back, it says 'U R', in letters, 'my' and then a picture of a heart."

Fang takes the necklace and looks at the back of it, Snow does the same. "It says that all right."

Snow seems confused. "If he left it behind, it could only mean one thing: The Sanctum took them." Lightning says.

"I'll report this to Raines." Fang says, walking off.

Lightning takes the necklace from Fang as she walks past Lightning. Lightning walks around the airship. She's now outside on the ship's deck. She's just sitting in front of the railing, looking at my necklace she's holding out in front of her. Her hair is gently blowing in the breeze. Lightning just looks at my necklace, thinking back of what I told her back in Lake Bresha.

Snow walks out of the deck. "Hey." Lightning looks back to see Snow. "What's with you?"

"Nothing." Lightning answers.

Snow sits next to Lightning, noticing the necklace. "Why is it Patrick wears that necklace anyway?"

Lightning squints her eyes at Snow. "You don't you know anything do you?" Lightning asks.

"He never told me anything about it." Snow says.

"Of course he didn't." Lightning says. Lightning holds the necklace out in front of her and Snow. "This necklace, it belong to his mother. Patrick told me what happened back in Lake Bresha. When he was young, he lost his mother during a Purge."

"Yeah, I figured after you say that to Rosch." Snow says.

Lightning nods. "Yeah. Patrick and his mother was about to escape, but they found out only one of them could, so she let him take the escape."

"Wow. That's...unbelievable." Snow says.

Lightning huffs. "You should have heard what happen to his dad. It's much worse then what happened to his mother."

"What happened?" Snow asks.

"I'd tell you, but Patrick would probably kill me if I did." Lightning says. "Speaking of which, do not ask him what happened to his dad. It irritates him and knowing how he feels for you, he'll kill you big time."

"I'll take your word for it." Snow says. Snow stands up. "Well, I'm gonna head in, care to join?"

Lightning shook her head. "I'll come in later."

"Okay." Snow says, walking back in.

Lightning returns her attention to the necklace, then sighs. Lightning puts the necklace in her pouch, then she looks up at the night sky. "Serah...did you know about all this?"


	13. Palamecia

A/N: Hope and Vanille are lucky to have people like me and Lightning to look after them, I guess Sazh too since he spared Vanille's life, even though he wanted to kill her. Writing stuff like that just aches my heart. Not that I hate stuff like that, it's just in real life, I use to have a close friend who did the same for me: Ariana OcampO. But then two years ago, I got onto a wither off-handed conversion with someone who apparently was her boyfriend. But then the girl just unfriends and then ignores me. I have a feeling she's attacked me with Immediate Judgment, cause the conversion I had with her boyfriend involved those despicable boys who feed on the female exposure. Animals I call them. I have a bad feeling Ariana thinks I'm one of them, just like Snow Villiers does to my character self. I can't believe she would stab me in the back with such betrayal instead of talking about it.

*Clears throat* moving on. Nautilus was pretty awesome, wasn't it? On both sides of the story? We're now moving on to Palamecia, where Lightning and the others comes to the rescue while me, Vanille and Sazh tries to make our escape. If you still haven't played FFXIII, consider it.

Chapter 9: Palamecia

The next day, the airship, the Palamecia, rides on the skies of Cocoon. In the Lindblum, everyone is watching the news as it shows the video of the giant airship.

"There she is, the Palamecia, pride of the Sanctum Skyfleet. This mighty flagship currently serves as a prison for the l'Cie apprehended in Nautilus. The l'Cie will face official sentencing upon the convoy's arrival in the capital."

"So what's with the freak show?" Snow asks, defensively.

"So the Primarch can stand in judgment of the villainous l'Cie with their execution as a climax." Raines says. "The people will cheer their demise, and fal'Cie dominion will be undisputed."

"All part of the plan." Lightning points out.

"Yes, but it also presents an opportunity." Raines says.

"They're baiting us. Trying to draw us out." Fang says.

"Bait, huh?" Snow wonders.

"Yeah, that's right: 'Here are your friends. Come and get them.'" Lightning says.

"Well, if they're daring us to mount a rescue, I'll take that action. All in." Snow says.

An officer takes the l'Cie group around the airship hanger. He takes them directly to a an airship. "This baby here's a PSICOM vessel. It'll deliver you to the Palamecia."

"Oh, we're cargo now?" Snow asks.

"A parting gift to our rotting government. Take these PSICOM guys apart." The officer says.

"And we're supposed to take on all of them? I think the whole division's on board." Lightning says.

"I don't care how many lackeys they've got. Bring them on! Vanille's in there." Fang looks at Lightning. "Isn't your little friend in there as well?"

Lightning doesn't say anything, she can tell Fang's talking about me. "I'm sure they're fine." Hope says. "They're tougher then I could ever be, even Vanille."

Lightning looks back at Hope, with some concern. "Hope, are you scared?"

"Yeah, I'm terrified." Hope admits. "But I'll be okay...Because I have you," Hope looks at Snow. "and this guy," Then looks at Fang. "and Fang as well...We're all in this mess. We've got to stick together."

"Right, enough with the bonding. It's go time." The officer tells them.

Everyone makes their way onto the airship, Snow however gets in front of Hope. "What do you mean 'this guy'?" Snow asks Hope. Hope just laughs at Snow's comment.

When everyone is on board of the airship, they take off, leaving the Lindblum and making their way to the Palamecia. The airship arrives at the Palamecia and it lands in the docks.

Lightning and the others gets off the airship, and takes a look around the docks. It seems empty, yet they feel like they're not alone, and they're right. The alarm goes off.

"Code Red! Repeat: Code Red! Attention all crew: This is not a drill! Code Red!"

PSICOM raiders arrives at the docks, aiming their guns are the l'Cie. "All right." Snow says, cracking his knuckles. "Let's tear them up!"

Lightning looks at Snow. "We're here for Patrick, Vanille and Sazh." Lightning looks back at the raiders and takes out her weapon. "Stay focused."

Lightning, Snow and Fang charges in and strikes down the troops, while Hope stays back casting his offensive magic. The raiders shoots at Lightning and Snow. One of them was about to shoot Fang, but instead gets stabbed by her lance. Snow knocks out his raider with his punches, then tosses him overboard. The raider soon regain conscious and screams in terror as he's falling to his doom.

Lightning finishes off her raider. The group was able to rest for a moment until more raiders charges in. "Looks like they want to play." Fang says.

The l'Cie group takes on the PSICOM raiders. Hope had to shift into Synergist and bless the group with Bravery and then Faith on himself, then shifts back into Ravager and casts his offensive magic. The raiders go down fast, after that, the group moves on ahead.

The group gets on the elevator that takes them six stories up. When they got off, they move down the hallway that leads to the outside.

They jump off and lands on the platform just below. Snow looks up at the exit. "Guess there's no going back there."

"We'll find another route." Lightning says.

While the gang are making their way through the External Berths, me, Sazh and Vanille, we're currently being held prisoners in a cell. We are all unarmed, and I am both hatless and pouchless.

Vanille just sits on the seats, looking down with depression, while me and Sazh are just leaning against the walls.

Vanille looks up at Sazh and exhales. "Sazh?"

[Flashback]

"Enough..." Me and Vanille gasp in horror. Vanille buries her face in my chest. I do the same onto her shoulder, as I wrap my arm around her back and place my hand on her head. "Is enough."

BANG!

Me and Vanille huddled for a minute. After that, we slowly look at Sazh, to our surprise, he's not dead on the floor, just standing there. We turn to see there's a shot on the throne, with smoke.

We both turn back to Sazh, to see the old man dropping his guns, falling on his knees, leans forward and slamming his fists on the ground.

"Why can't I do it?" Sazh asks in frustration. Sazh slams his fist on the ground again. "I got no reason to keep living." Me and Vanille slowly disband each other's embrace and then stand up as Sazh speaks. "And I can't even kill you."

Vanille and I walks up to Sazh. We're both on each of his sides. Vanille kneels down to the man, putting her hands on his shoulders.

"Sazh..."

"Believe me, Sazh. I know how it feels." I look away with regret. "I wonder if there's even reason why I'm still alive...if I have no reason to live..." I slowly place a hand on my left arm, where my scars rest. "After what I've done."

Sazh just sobs. After a moment, me and Vanille are on the alert, when we see the PSICOM troops are here.

"FREEZE! Take them!" PSICOM surrounds us. The remaining troops grabs hold of us, forcing Sazh and Vanille on their knees.

Jihl walks in, making my expression turn bitter, as she stands in front of Sazh and Vanille.

"You should be proud." Jihl tells Sazh. The women takes out her rod, using it to tilt Sazh's head to face her. "Your son's a hero. The boy who saved Cocoon. We'll erect a memorial in Eden and put his crystal as a display."

I growling hearing that, breaking myself free from PSICOM's grasp. "You sick little!" PSICOM troops have their guns pointing at me.

"A memorial?" Sazh asks. "He's a little boy!"

"As the son of a Pulse l'Cie, he would have lived in shame and mercy." Vanille looks sadden hearing that, then she turns to face me. "Just like a certain someone...who once lived in that misery."

"You..." I raise my fist, getting ready to strike. "You son of a-" I make my strike, but Jihl dodges and she jabs me with her rod, forcing me to collapse on my knees. Jihl turns and I look up at her. "I lived in that misery because of YOU! My father became a l'Cie because you used him!"

Jihl just gives a single chuckle then nearly looks over her shoulder at me. "But who was it that killed him? ...Who was it that made your suffering even worse?" I say nothing, my expression is anger, but then my eyes unleashed some tears as I look down. "That's right..." Jihl turns back at me. "It was you."

I say nothing, just looking down at the ground. Jihl returns her attention to Sazh. "Isn't it better he'd be treated with reverence as a monument to sacrifice?"

The PSICOM troopers aims their guns at Sazh. Sazh just shouts and struggles with rage. Jihl couldn't take it anymore. She strikes at Sazh in the next, knocking him out.

"The next time your eyes open will be the last." She says.

Jihl walks away as PSICOM troopers surrounds us. I just lay on my hands and knees as they deal with Sazh and Vanille. I notice the little chocobo is flying towards me. I look at the little fella and give a small nod.

I reach for the back on my neck and unclasp my necklace, letting it drop on the floor. The little chocobo looks at the necklace, then back at me.

"They'll come for us. I know it...let them know." I whisper to it.

After that, I slowly stand up, raising my hands in the air as PSICOM now aims their guns at me.

[Flashback ends]

Sazh just sighs, and then moves onto one of the seats. "I'm pathetic." He admits.

I look at Sazh hearing that. "That's my line." I turn looking at Vanille hearing that. "I'm the one who lied to everybody."

"Forget it. You can't change what you've done." Sazh ain't wrong. I still wish I could change what I had done to my father, but I can't.

Vanille stands up. "But, if I had just told the truth..."

"Now, now, now. I've been thinking. You woke up from being a crystal once. Well, that would mean Dajh will wake up one day too, right?" Sazh says.

I look at Vanille. "Sazh has a point. That's what I believed in for Serah. When she turned to crystal, I was sad...but then I remind myself: She's only sleeping, and one day...she'll awaken." I drop my arms down and walk towards Vanille. "After that, I was glad that she completed her Focus."

Vanille looks at me, she smiles a little then nods. "What was it like?" Me and Vanille looks at Sazh with confusion. "I mean, how did it happen? You were done with your Focus, right?"

Vanille says nothing at first, then answered. "I was chosen. I was made into a l'Cie to fight against Cocoon." Vanille sits back down. "It happened on Gran Pulse. Hundreds of years ago. We finished our Focus, and fell into a long crystal sleep."

"Hmm...must be nice." I say.

Lightning and the others made their way back into the airship. They stand by, out of sight as Snow looks down the hallway from the corner.

"Let us through! Block our way, you die!" Snow shouts.

"You trying to get them angry?" Fang asks Snow.

"Thought maybe they'd run. There's been enough blood spilled." Snow says. If I was around, I'd slap the doofus on the head for getting a stupid idea like that.

"You thought they'd run?" Lightning asks. "Let me refreshen your memory. Those soldiers think they're protection Cocoon from l'Cie. The fal'Cie have them all brainwashed.

Snow slams his fist on the wall, in anger. "Fal'Cie! I have had it! We cannot let this go on!"

The alarm goes on. "Attention all crew: Code Green! Repeat: Code Green! Security forces stand by! Hostile forces on board, Code Green!" Lightning and the others are on the alert.

The alarms certainly started us all, certainly surprised Sazh.

"Wait-what...what was that?" Sazh asks.

"What's going on?" Vanille asks.

I can tell what's going on. "They're here."

Lightning and the others makes their way through the army. The path is pretty long and tough, PSICOM troops swarming at them with each group they defeat. Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Haste on everyone, then Brave on the warriors and Faith on himself, then everyone starts to pick up the pace.

Even though the troops are going down fast, those ahead aren't giving up. "Things are about to get interesting." Fang says.

Sazh and Vanille are sitting down. The door opens and two PSICOM troopers and a Vespid enters the cell.

"Get up! You're being moved!" The troop tells them. The trooper moves to Vanille and drags her to stand. "On your feet, scum!"

The other one seems alerted. "Wait! Where's the other one."

The two troopers looks around the cell. What they don't know is that I'm braced up on the ceiling, looking down at the idiots. The second trooper stands in front of Sazh, aiming his gun at him.

"Where's your little friend! TALK!" Sazh says nothing. That's when I dropped and I strike at the soldier in the back of the head, knocking out the soldier.

The one by Vanille looks and is surprised to see him, then he aims his gun at me. "Freeze you!"

I look back to see the trooper. I quickly putted up the gun from the unconscious trooper and aim it at the other one. "Vanille! Get back!"

I start shooting like crazy at the trooper, Vanille stands back when that happens. The trooper dies, leaving us with the Vespid. Vanille picks up the other gun and shoots at the creature, shouting as she shoots.

The Vespid dies and Vanille settles down. I was pretty surprised. I look at Vanille and give her a punch on the shoulder. "Didn't think you had it in you, kid." I tell her.

Vanille smiles a little, rubbing on her shoulder while giggling. "All right, time to split." Sazh tells us. "Not run. There's a different."

"Gotcha." Vanille says.

Me and Vanille moves on ahead since we're armed, and Sazh follows us from behind. We wonder down the hallways until we find the storage room were are weapons and my items are kept.

We load up. Sazh and Vanille waits outside for me, while I put back on my pouches. I walk out putting on my hat.

"Do I deserve to escape?" Vanille says, looking down in despair.

"What, you'd rather die?" Sazh asks. Vanille doesn't really answer that. "Cause that's got to scare you...Scares me. Scares me so much, I think I might die of fright."

"Doesn't scare me." I say.

"So, I push myself to live even harder." Sazh says. "I can just imagine Dajh, laughing at me talking this nonsense." I wouldn't really call it nonsense. "Right now, I'd do anything to see that smile." Vanille exhales cheerful with a nod. "Stay positive? Right?"

"Says you." I tell Sazh.

The alarm goes on again, alerting the three of us. "Attention all crew! l'Cie prisoners have escaped! All units to battle stations! Code: Blue! I repeat, Code: Blue!"

"They know we're loose." I say. I move on ahead. "Let's get moving."

Lightning and the others paused their little travel hearing the alert. "'l'Cie prisoners'? You think it's them?" Hope asks.

"Either them or there are more l'Cie in his vessel." Snow says.

"We better find them before the army does." Lightning says.

I take the lead while Sazh and Vanille watches my back. We fight our way through the Cargo Access. We fight our way through the Access, fighting off the Flanborgs and Flanitors.

Lightning and the others are lucky. They are fighting off PSICOM troopers and Viking machine soldiers. What do we have? Some ugly blobs, annoying ones too from the Flanitor's since they're healing with Rescue and when they do, they sound off that annoying siren on their heads.

Makes me glad the Medics in our l'Cie groups aren't anything like those Flanitor's. After fighting our way across the Cargo, we arrive at a sealed door, where the alarm goes off again.

"Code: Purple! I repeat! Code: Purple! Security breach! All units on alert! Code Purple!"

"Them and they're silly color codes." I say.

"Looks like we ain't the only ones cleaning house. It could be the others." Sazh says.

"Who else?" I say, crossing my arms.

"Come on, let's hurry." Vanille suggests.

"Let's go get rescued." Sazh says.

I walk up to the sealed door, doing my work on the control screen beside it. Vanille shakes her head. "No, no this time." Me and Sazh looks at Vanille in confusion. "For once in my life, I am going to save her."

Sazh chuckles. "All right, now you're talking!"

"Your little friend? The hostile one?" I asked.

Vanille stomps her feet on the ground with her hands on her hips. "She is not hostile!"

"Humph." I return my attention to the controls. "Whatever you say." Once I'm done, the door opens, clearing up a passage for us. "Let's go!"

Lightning and the others made it to the end of their passage when the alarm goes out. Hope just seems confused. "All these colors. What's it mean?"

"Means we're doing our job Making a lot of PSICOM guys nervous." Fang says.

"Security breach! All units on alert!"

On that alert, the screen above the door ahead shows me, Vanille and Sazh fighting our way through.

"Vanille." Fang says. Fang gets a good look at me. "I see she's with the Velocycle-jacker."

"Hey, he's not a bad guy." Snow tells Fang.

Fang just chuckles at Snow. "You should talk. Last time I checked, he just left you behind to rot." Snow doesn't say anything else. "Let's hurry it up! Vanille's waiting."

Everyone agrees and they all move on. They arrive at the Rotary Shaft, which seems like the energy core of the Palamecia. They fight their way through the creatures and PSICOM troopers on the ring passages. They are tough, especially the Thermadon's.

While they're fighting their way through the Rotary Shaft, me, Vanille and I arrive at the Engine Bay.

"Bridge to engine room. We're losing thrust. Engine room, do you copy?" We look at the main reactor ahead. "What is the statues of the main reactor."

The reactor is overheating at first, but then it dies down, along with the alarm. The three of us looks around, on the alert. "Power's down. What's going on?" Sazh asks.

"Code: White is happening." I say.

Sazh and Vanille looks at me with confusion. "Code: White...wha-what does that mean?"

"Trust me. It's not pretty." I say, moving ahead. We make our way through the Engine Room. The army down here isn't as much as it is for Lightning and the others.

The fights here are pretty tough since my party is in three and I have an old man and a silly kid. Vanille had to shift into Medic to heal us while I shifted in Synergist and bless us with enchants.

Our battles down here was nothing, even since Vanille shifted into Saboteur and weaken their defenses for most of them. We arrive at the other end of the passage, where we find a sealed door, no way of opening it since the power is down in the Engine Room.

Sazh bangs his fists on the door. "Damn it!"

I think for a moment. I dig into my pouches, searching. "What'cha doing?" Vanille asks me.

"I think I may have..." I take out an explosive device. "Perfect." I walk up to the door, moving Sazh out of the way. "Stand aside." I kneel front of the door, setting the device up. "Watch my back."

Sazh and Vanille stands back. they turned around to see an army of Vespid's and Thermadons. "Well isn't this great?"

"We can't hold them back." Vanille says.

"Maybe not like this." Sazh says, standing in front of Vanille. "Vanille, get back."

Vanille stands back. It's now just Sazh and the creatures. Sazh places a hand on his brand. His brand glows and then a feather wing crystal appears in his hands. Sazh tosses it into the air and shoots at it, spawning a flaming sphere with Brynhildr contained inside. The sphere explodes and Brynhildr lands beside Sazh.

"Let's do this!" Sazh says.

Sazh and Brynhildr holds back the horde of creatures. Sazh shoots at them while the eidolon strikes at them with either her Valkyrian Scythe and Pyroshots.

The creatures fight back hard, their attentions are on the eidolon. Soon enough, Brynhildr enters Gestalt Mode, turning into a car. Sazh hops on the eidolon. "Let's bring on the heat!"

Sazh commands Brynhildr to do Chopper Spin, rushing up at the creatures and then doing a flaming spin. Then commands the eidolon to do Caltrop Bomb, jump spinning aside leaving a burring bomb behind at the army, exploding at them.

The eidolon does Centrifugal Sweep, spinning round while shooting out of the Gunaxe supporting at the bumper. Sazh commands the eidolon to do Spark Shower, rushing at the enemies then turns around, with the rear barely touching them, then pushes the gas hard with the eidolon parked in place. While that's happening, shots of flame strikes at the enemy.

Half of the army is down, and Sazh commands the eidolon to do Múspell Flame. Sazh shifts the eidolon to drive at high speed, then they drive, spinning around and around at the enemy with flames dancing in the air, forming a powerful vortex. The enemies all die in the vortex.

While still running around, the eidolon shifts back into her original form and hit the breaks. The flames die down, showing the area is clear. The eidolon salutes at Sazh then vanishes.

"Wow. That! Was! Amazing!" Vanille says excited.

I stand up. "All right, the charges are set." I get away from the door. "Take cover!"

Me, Sazh and Vanille runs out of the hallway and stands on the corners of the wall. We sit down, taking cover by curling up with our eyes closed and our hands on our ears.

3...2...1...BOOM!

The explosion was massive, a large wave of fire and smoke bursts out of the hallway. When it's all clear, we look in to see the door opens.

"That's how it's done." I say, moving on ahead, with Sazh and Vanille following me.

Meanwhile, Lightning and the others arrive at the Starboard Weather Deck. They seem to have notice something a little off.

"The wind, it's dying down." Hope mentions.

"Yeah, it's stopping...and we're decelerating." Lightning says. "They up to something?"

"I don't suppose it could be, I don't know...good luck?" Snow wonders.

The doors on the ground opens up and the Vespid's flies out of them. "That looks a lot more like bad luck." Fang points out.

"You've got a point." Snow says.

"Not to me." Lightning says. "That! That we can do something about."

Lightning and the others moves on ahead, cutting down their path. The Vespid's and PSICOM aerial troopers fought hard, even Hope and sometimes Lightning had to shift into Medic to heal their wounds, but they all fell.

After all that fighting, the gang moves on ahead, until they ran into a Kalavinka Striker.

"Hey, Light. How do you suppose this is lucky?" Fang asks.

"Because once we kill it, we're a step closer to Vanille." Lightning answers.

Fang takes out her lance, spinning it around. "Well when you put it like that, it is lucky."

Hope shifts into Synergist and casts Haste on everyone. Snow and Lightning strikes at the flying electric-Wyvern. The Kalavinka Striker Aerial Sweeps, striking the group. Fang shifts into Saboteur, casting Slow and Deprotect on the monster.

Hope casts Bravery on everyone else and then Faith on himself. Hope shifts into Ravager and casts Watera on the beast. Fang shifts into Commando and strikes as well. The Kalavinka Striker casts Hellstorm Bolt, striking at the group with a wave of lightning. Lightning shifts into Medic, casting Cura on everyone, then shifts back into Commando and strikes at the beast.

The monster falls hard, with being slowed and weakened while the group have their strengthening buffs.

The Kalavinka Striker dies and falls to the ground, sliding down until it falls off of the ship. Just when the group starts to catch their breath, another Kalavinka Striker flies in.

"Another one." Hope says.

"One big, fat stroke of luck after another. I'm so happy I could cry." Snow says.

The Kalavinka Striker flies in close and past the group, flying away.

"Tease us will yea?" Fang shouts at it.

"Come get some!" Snow shouts.

The Kalavinka Striker turns around. The group gets ready to strike, until a large explosion happens, causing a rumble for the group to lose their balance. The Kalavinka Striker flies in close, channeling it's Hellstorm Bolt. The lightning slides on the ground towards the group.

Snow and Fang moves out of the way, but Lightning and Hope falls back, rolling over to the edge, falling down. Lightning and Hope are now dangling from the edge as the Kalavinka Striker flies off. Hope is the one holding on while Lightning is grabbing onto the boy.

"Lightning! Hope!" Snow shouts. Snow runs up to them, but a large army of Vespid's swarms in front of him. "Damn it! Hang on you two!" Snow and Fang fights off the creatures.

Down below, there's a large hole in the metal wall with smoke, where the explosion happened. Vanille and Sazh walks up, coughing and covering their mouths with an arm. When they're out, I walk out as well.

"How many of those explosives you're carrying, man?" Sazh asks.

"I think it's just those two." I answered. I look up ahead on the upper floor, seeing something dangling from the edge. "What's that?" Sazh and Vanille looks at the direction I'm looking at. I start to get a closer look, squinting my eyes and putting a hand above them. "It looks like..." I drop my hand and widen my eyes open realizing it's Lightning and Hope. "Oh no..."

Hope tries to pull himself up, but he doesn't have the strength to do it while holding onto Lightning.

"I can't pull up." Hope says.

"Hope." Hope looks down at Lightning. "Let me go."

"What?" Hope asks, surprised.

"You survive." Lightning tells him.

"No! I'm not gonna let you die!" Hope yells down at her.

Me, Sazh and Vanille runs to the edge of the ground, which is only about twenty feet from Lightning and Hope.

"Oh no...what are we gonna do?" Vanille asks, horrified.

I take a moment, looking at the situation. I reach into my bag, taking out the rope. I hand one to Sazh. "Hold on to this." I tell him.

"Why?" Sazh asks.

"Just do it!" I demand.

Sazh grabs the rope, then he passes it to Vanille. They both hold onto it while I tie the other end to an arrow.

Hope struggles holding on. "I'm slipping." Hope says.

Lightning looks up to see he's losing his grip on the airship. "Farron!" Lightning looks down ahead to see me shouting at her, aiming my bow at them. "Catch!" I fire the arrow.

The arrow flies towards Lightning and Hope. Lightning keeps her eyes on the arrow, focusing on it. I drop my bow at my feet and grab on to the rope. "Hold on tightly you two." I tell Sazh and Vanille.

Sazh and Vanille nods. The Lightning gets ready to grab the arrow. The arrow flies close, and she grabs it, just in time too, cause the moment she catches it, Hope loses his grip and they start falling.

Hope screams as they fall. Lightning holds onto Hope tightly, Hope does the same with Lightning, but with fear. Lightning holds on tightly to the rope. They fall until the rope reaches it's maximum length and Lightning and Hope are dangling down below.

Their weight suddenly being added to the rope causes me, Sazh and Vanille to struggle in our hold. We slide forward a little bit, but we kept it together with our combine strength.

Hope's screaming stops, he looks around to see they're in midair, not even falling, then he looks at Lightning. "I got you." Lightning tells him.

Lightning looks up as we start pulling them up. When they're up, Lightning helps Hope get up, who gets on his hands and knees, panting. Lightning gets on the ground and drops the arrow.

"Man, that was close." Sazh says.

Lightning looks down at Hope. She kneels beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey...you okay?"

Instantly, Hope wraps his arms around Lightning, startling her. "I've never been so scared in my life." Hope says.

Lightning takes a moment to see what's going on, then she wraps her arms around the boy, trying to comfort the boy from his fear. She doesn't blame him for being so scared, he is just a kid and they almost fell to their doom.

Lightning looks over Hope's shoulder and gives a disappointed look. The rest of us turns to see the Kalavinka Striker is flying towards us, blasting it's Hellstorm Bolt at us. Sazh falls back, Vanille cowers and I jump back, avoiding the bolts.

"Seriously? Again?" Lightning asks in annoyance.

"Don't worry about it." I say. I take out my bow, Sazh stands back up and Vanille takes out her binding rod. "We will handle it."

The Kalavinka Striker casts Hellstorm Bolt on us. I shift into Saboteur and cast Deprotect, Defaith and Deshell on the beast. Sazh shifts into Synergist and casts Bravery on himself and me, then Faith of Vanille.

Vanille casts Watera on the electric-Wyvern. The Kalavinka Striker casts Thunderga on us. Vanille shifts into Medic and cast Cura on us. I shift into Commando and start shooting at the monster. Sazh casts Haste on us all then Enwater on himself and I.

Vanille shifts into Ravager and continues with her Water spells. The Kalavinka Striker Aerial Sweeps twice, then casts spark barrage, blasting a wave of lightning bolts from it's mouth. Sazh shifts into Commando and starts shooting at the monster.

We all strike head-on on the monster, then Kalavinka Striker casts Hellstorm Bolt. Vanille shifts into Medic, casting Cura on us, then shifts back into Ravager, resuming with her offensive spells.

The Kalavinka Striker finally falls, falling down into the abyss. Vanille and Sazh exhales in relief, that the fight is over. Afterwards, I turn back at Lightning and Hope. "You two okay?" I ask.

"Yeah. We're fine." Lightning answers.

Lightning and Hope stands up, and disbands the hug. Hope is feeling much better now. Vanille stands in front of Hope. "That was quite a fall you had." Vanille says.

"Please don't remind me." Hope says.

The little chocobo jumps up from behind Hope, landing on his shoulder and chirps. Vanille giggles at the sight of it. "Hey little guy."

Sazh stands next to Vanille, looking at his chocobo. "Hey, You made it."

The little chocobo jumps off of Hope and lands in Sazhs hands. I just stand by watching the three, though I'm confused to see Hope is here. I noticed Lightning walking in front of me. I turn to face the soldier girl, who's taking out something from her pouch. My mothers necklace.

"I believe this belongs to you." She says.

I take the necklace. "Thanks." I put the necklace back on. "I see you paid a visit to Nautilus. Just as I thought."

"Yeah, well. We had to find you and Sazh and Vanille. Where else was there to look?" Lightning says.

Look at Hope. "Now, why is Hope here? I thought I told you to take him home."

"We did, but PSICOM found us while we were there. It was too dangerous to stay, even if they didn't arrive." Lightning says.

"Well...I suppose that's true." I say.

Above, Snow and Fang finishes off their battle. Fang walks to the edge to see that Lightning and Hope aren't handling. She looks down and finds the rest of us.

"Hey!" Fang shouts.

We turn and look up to see the young warrior. "Fang!" Vanille shouts in excitement.

"Vanille!" Fang shouts back. "You guys need a hand?"

"That would be great." Lightning shouts.

I take the arrow the rope is tied to. I load it on my bow, aiming it at Fang and fired. The arrow pierces on the very edge of the ceiling. It was close enough for Fang to reach and grab. Once she does, I hold on to the other end.

Snow holds on to the rope, with Fang helping him out. Vanille was the first to climb up.

Once Vanille was on up, she and Fang runs to each other, hugging, then Sazh was the next to climb the rope. Fang and Vanille ends their hug, then Fang kneels down, lifting part of Vanille's skirt, taking a look at her brand.

"You've still got time." Fang says.

Sazh makes it up the rope, and now Hope is climbing it. "Fang." Fang stands back up. "There's...There's something I need to tell you."

Fang hugs Vanille again. "Making me worry like that...We'll talk later, missy."

Fang ends her hug then she walks up to Snow. Hope makes it to the top, then Lightning starts to climb up the rope. Fang takes the rope and Snow walks up to Hope. "Hey, you okay?"

"A little shaken, but I'm all right." Hope says.

Snow pats Hope on the back. "Good to hear that...the 'all right' part." Snow says. Lightning makes it to the top. Once she does, I jump off the ground, swing forward until I'm beneath Fang, then I start to climb. I made it to the top, where I'm greeted by Fang.

"Nice to see you again." Fang says.

"I suppose." I say, pulling myself up.

"Listen here, pal. You took my Velocycle, and I want it back." Fang says.

"Yeah...That's not gonna happen." I say. "I crashed it back in Twilight Forest." Fang looks mad, then her expression softens when she hears how it happened. "Ran out of gas."

Lightning and Hope walks up to me. "There's someone who has something to say to you." Lightning says.

Lightning moves side, showing revealing Snow within my sight. I see Snow and my anger raises. "VILLIERS!"

I charge directly at Snow. He was startled to see me rushing towards him. Snow defends himself as I start punching and kicking the doofus.

Lightning is disappointed to see this. "Patrick! Stop!"

Lightning and Hope rushes in to stop me, but then Fang spreads her arms out, blocking them. "Hold on. I like to see where this is going."

I keep beating up on Villiers, only he kept blocking every attack. Stupid Sentinel role. I sweep kick, only Snow jumps back. Knowing that, I take out three throwing stars, one held in between each of my fingers on one hand, and throws them at him.

Snow docks, and my stars impale the metal of the airship. I take out my bow, rapidly firing my arrows at Snow. Snow dodges my arrows. My reloading and firing time is burning fast. Shooting every single second. The more I shoot, the more trouble Snow has avoiding.

Everyone in the group except for Fang is starting to worry. After a minute of avoid, Snow trips and falls. I was about to shoot again, but then I noticed Snow is getting on his feet. I rush onto to him. Just when he's on his feet, I strike him with a couple of blows. Punches in the face, elbows in the stomach, kicks on the legs, or sweep kicks in the face.

As my finishing strike, I give Snow a hard punch right under his chin, knocking him back. Snow falls on the ground of the aircraft, rolling over until he's at the edge.

I watch Snow laying on the floor, out of breath, as I walk up to him. When I'm in front of him, I step my foot right on his chest, holding him down. Snow looks at me, he sees me, aiming my loaded bow directly at his skull.

I draw the arrow back. "Now it ends here, Villiers!"

Snow grits his teeth, closes his eyes and turns his head away. I was about to release the arrow, but then I get hit in the back of my head. I didn't move or react to the hit, almost like I felt nothing. I turn around and look down, to find a boomerang resting a few feet behind me.

Everyone else also looks at the boomerang, then they turn their attention to Hope, at the end of the line. Even I'm looking at the boy, and Hope is making the position that shows he thrown that boomerang.

"Hope?" I ask. Snow opens his eyes to see I'm turning away. "Why?"

"I can't let you do this!" Hope says.

"Why? You're the one who wanted him dead!" I say.

"I did. More then anything." Hope looks down for a moment, then looks back up at me. "But not anymore. I learned that I made a mistake, creating Operation Nora. I couldn't let you make the same mistake."

"This isn't just about your mother!" I tell Hope. I look back at Snow, giving him a death glare. "It's about everything else Villiers did!" I look back at Hope. "And he needs to pay for it all!"

Lightning walks up to me. "Patrick." I turn my attention to Lightning. "I know Snow can be a hard head, a moron, a doofus, dummy, arrogant, reckless, annoying..."

"Get to the point." Everyone but me and Snow shouts at Lightning.

Lightning rolls her eyes and sighs. "But he knows he's made mistakes, he's learned from them and he deserves a second chance."

"Oh really?" I ask, crossing my arms. "Give me one good reason why I should?"

Lightning crosses her arms as well. "He fulfilled his promise...to Nora." Lightning says. I say nothing hearing that. "When Snow arrived in Palumpolum, I left Hope with him. At first, I was worried cause Hope still wanted revenge on Snow, but it was the right thing to do. Snow took him home."

I say nothing. I just look down, wondering what to do. I'm not even sure how to feel.

"Patrick..." I look over my shoulder, and slowly turn around to look down at Snow. "Go ahead and do it. I deserved it. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for making you break your promise to safe Nora. I'm sorry you became a l'Cie. I'm sorry about Serah. I'm even sorry about all those magazines I've been giving you." I just glare down at Snow. I hold my bow in between me and Snow, and holding an arrow at my other hand. Looking down at the two objects like it's Snow's death warrant. "Go on. Kill me...get your revenge."

I do nothing for a moment, then I load the bow with the arrow, but I don't pull it back, I don't even aim it at Snow. "Patrick..." Lightning walks up to me, until she's right behind me and her head is over my shoulder. "Don't do it. Forgive him." I don't say or do anything. I'm still not sure what to do now. One thing for sure, I won't do what Lightning says, at least I thought I wasn't gonna do it, until she continues talking. "Do it for Serah. She would want you to."

Lightning backs away, until she's about ten feet away. I look back at Lightning, then back at the group. All of them are just standing there, waiting and watching. Vanille is looking worried, with her fingers on her mouth (It would look like she's about to bite her nails) Fang is just standing there, Sazh looks a bit surprised, Hope is concern. I look back at Snow.

I think about what Lightning said. 'Do it for Serah. She would want you to.' Even through it hurts to accept it, she's right. Serah loves Snow very much, she even still wants to marry the doofus after me and Lightning dislikes Snow, and after Lightning rejects their permission. If I kill Snow...I'll probably end up killing Serah.

But I can't forgive Snow. He's done too much to irritate me. Two years of those Big Sister's Complex magazines. His Arrogance. Putting all those innocent people from the Hanging Edge into danger. Making me break my promise to keep Nora safe. Got Serah captured by the fal'Cie. Forsaken Nora's promise to bring Hope home. Made me into a l'Cie. I can't even trust him that he'll change. I feel like I'm facing myself when I killed my father. I could never forgive myself for making that terrible mistake.

After thinking about it, I'm left with only one other option:

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. After that, I look back down at Snow. "I'll never forgive you, Villiers!" I say with a growling tone. I pull back the arrow, aiming at Snow. Snow closes his eyes, preparing to have his head pierced. Lightning slightly gasps at the sight of it, just when she's about to do something, I release the arrow. Snow flinches a little, expecting to get hit, but instead, he feels no pain.

Snow slowly opens his eyes. He sees me at the some position before he closed his eyes, the only thing that's different is that my bow is empty. Snow looks to his eye, to find the arrow pierced to the ground, on the very edge of his head. Even the arrow shaved off bits of his hair.

Lightning is surprised to see Snow is still alive. Snow looks back at me. "But I will spare your life." I slowly put my bow away and take a step back, then Snow sits up, still looking at me. "Don't make me regret it."

I turn and walk away from Snow. Everyone seems surprised to see that, and I can tell they're not thinking I killed Snow.

I walk up to the group. Lightning walks up to Snow, as he stands up, then they both look at me as I walk away.

Lightning sighs. "Well...that's probably the best we can get out of him."

Lightning and Snow joins the rest of us. We gather in a circle. "So...we're all together again." I say.

"So...what's on the agenda?" Sazh asks.

Snow pounds his fist into his hand. "Toppling with Sanctum."

"No. I mean really." Sazh says.

"He's serious. We're gonna take down the Sanctum and give Cocoon back to the people." Lightning says. "The fal'Cie have called the shots for long enough."

I slowly shook my head, crossing my arms. "That is without a doubt the most stupidest plan ever." Everyone looks at me like I'm crazy. "What? I said it's stupid. I didn't say it's wrong."

"You saying you're in?" Fang asks.

"Oh, I'm in big time." I say. "I've got some unfinished business with Nabaat."

"If we pull this off, it'll be a miracle." Hope says.

Fang plants her lance on the ground. "Well, good thing Lady Luck's on our side."

We all become startled as large group of Garudas Starts flying above us.

"More of them?" Sazh asks.

"You know, this is getting really old." Snow says.

"These things just don't know when you quit, do they?" I say.

Fang looks up at the flying beasts. "Check this out. A miracle: Gran Pulse style."

Fang and Vanille runs ahead. The rest of us just stands back and watch them with confusion. "Vanille. Go fish."

"Got it." Vanille says.

The two ladies stands by as a large Garuda flies towards them. As it flies by, it blasts a flare bolt at them. Fang and Vanille turns around, then Vanille launches the steel bowlers on her binding rod. Fang runs up to the creature as Vanille catches it.

The beast is forced to stay in place, and then Fang jumps high in the air, landing hard on the creature with her lance stabbed on it's back.

The capture falls on the ground, letting out a soft roar. "That's a good girl."

The rest of us are pretty impressed that at little event. "I'm starting to like her." I say, impressed.

Fang looks back at the rest of us. "All right!"

Vanille runs past us, heading towards Fang. "Let's get on."

Just like that, we all get on the beast. Once we were on, the Garuda takes flight. We soar through the air around the Palamecia. Most of us aren't too comfortable flying on a wild beast.

"Believe in Lady Luck now?" Fang asks us.

"Yeah. Lady Bad Luck!" Sazh says, worried.

We all look down at the massive airship. "Time to Purge a Primarch!"

"You got it!" Fang says.

The Garuda dives in towards the airship. Hundreds of guns are shooting at us as the beast avoids and evades the attacks. The Garuda blasts a flare bolt onto the airship, creating a hole with a blast of smoke.

"Jump!" When the beast flies close to the hole, we all jump in it.

The hole takes up to the very top of the Bridge Access. We had a bit of a bumpy landing. After a brief moment, we all stand, facing the direction to the Bridge.

"Dysley's through here." Lightning says.

I stand next to Lightning. "Let's end this."

Fang turns to Vanille. "We're still gonna have out talk." She tells Vanille. "But let's survive this first, right?"

"Right." Vanille says with a nod.

We all stand tall and proud, facing the entrance to the bridge, even through it's pretty far. The passage is long and quite a struggle. Facing the PSICOM raiders while making our way to the bridge, which the passage is about a mile long. I wonder how the hell PSICOM would even think of walking that long to get to the Bridge.

We had to split up in different ways. Sazh took the right passage with Hope. Fang and Vanille took the left while Lightning has Snow and I are in the middle.

Dividing our group, we cut down the group pretty well. Sometimes, we usually start our fights where me and Vanille had to weaken the enemies attacks in our Saboteur role while Sazh strengthen him and Hope in Synergist.

The group that's head of us all are Lightning, Snow and I. I'd say it's because it's a group of three while the rest are groups of two. Plus Vanille and Fang doesn't have a Synergist to strengthen their attacks.

After all that fighting, we've reach in front of the entrance to the bridge. We had to wait got everyone else before we could enter the bridge. Once we were in the bridge, we came in view of Primarch Dysley, and Jihl Nabaat who's standing next to the Primarch.

"Been looking for you, Nabaat!" Sazh says.

We all run in, until we're at the center ring. Jihl jumps down from the platform, in front of us. Sazh points his gun at Jihl, but I move him side. "No...She's mine."

I stand, facing to Jihl, aiming a loaded bow directly at her face. "I've been waiting a long time for this."

Jihl just chuckles, then takes out her rod. "Your eminence, please escape. I'll cover your retreat." Jihl says.

"Why don't you leave, Jihl." Dysley suggests. "Or rather, take your leave. Humans have no business here."

Jihl is surprised to hear that, then she turns to face Dysley. "What? Your Eminence!"

A Ruin was casted on Jihl, killing her. we're all surprised, even me. None of us casted it. No. It was the Primarch.

"Magic?" Sazh asks.

"You used magic?" I say, lowering my bow.

Dysley floats in the air, channeling a wave of Ruins on his staff. He casts the Ruin spells at all of the workers in the bridge, killing them all. We're all surprised to see this, then Dysley shoots the rest of his ruins at the ceiling, shattering it open.

"Monster! People are not yours to use!" Snow yells at the Primarch.

"What the hell are you playing at?" I yell at him, aiming my loaded bow at him.

Dysley smirks whole he lowers himself to the ground. "What else does one do with tools?"

Snow yells in anger, charging at the Primarch. Snow makes a strike, but a barrier blocks Snows attack and knocks him back I slowly shook my head, looking at the doofus. _Oh Villiers..._

"Cocoon is a factory, built by fal'Cie. A factory for the mass production of human thralls." Dysley says.

"Not anymore it's not!" Snow says, getting on his feet.

The mechanical bird flies in the air around us. "What can mere men do? Without our help, seat is all of which you're capable. You saw the fools. A mindless mob drunk on fear of a few l'Cie."

Lightning stands up in front of the group. "If they only knew a l'Cie was the one filling their glasses!" Lightning takes out her weapon, ready to attack.

"L'Cie?" Dysley questions with a chuckle. "You mean me? ...Oh child, perish the thought." Dysley floats up, raise his staff up as the bird flies towards it. "I am more then that!"

Dysley grows so brightly as he transforms. The light blinds us. When it was clear, we all look to see a giant fal'Cie. "I am fal'Cie." The fal'Cie's voice is deep and echoing. "My name is Barthandelus. Voice of the Sanctum, and Lord-Sovereign of the Cocoon fal'Cie." We all stand in shocked and fear at the very sight of this monster. "Your kind feared the darkness, so we gave you light. You begged us for the Purge, and did it not come to pass? Now you spurn out counsel? You must learn your place!"

We all snapped out of our trance and focus on fighting down the fal'Cie.

Hope and I shift into Synergist, strengthening everyone with Bravery, Faith, Haste, Protect, Shell, Veil and Vigilance.

Vanille shifts into Saboteur and casts her Deprotect, Deshell, Imperil spells on the monster.

Snow shifts into Sentinel and blocks the attacks, while the rest of the group attacks.

Barthandelus does Baptism in Ruin, casing a wave of Ruins, at Lightning. Vanille shifts into Ravager and casts her Watera and Blizzara spells. Sazh shifts into Synergist and casts Enthunder of Lightning, Enfire on me, Fang and himself and then Enfrost on Snow.

Barthandelus casts Ruinga on Vanille, launches a single Ruin and the ruin explodes, leaving a puff of smoke in its wake. I shift into Commando and start shooting at the fal'Cie with my burning arrows. Hope shifts into Medic and casts Cura on Vanille and Lightning, and a single cure on Snow.

Snow shifts into Commando and starts punching Barthandelus. Hope shifts into Ravager and begins his offensive spells. The fight goes on. The Commando attacks, shoots and Ruins from Sazh. offensive magic spells from Vanille and Hope.

Barthandelus begins Thanatosian Smile. It's face opens it and then shoots multiple laser beams at us. That smarts pretty hard. Vanille and Hope had to shift into Medic and give everyone a wave of heals. Sazh and Lightning shifts into Ravager. Sazh does Fira's while Lightning does some Sparkstrikes.

Barthandelus does a Baptism in Ruin on Snow, then me then does a Ruinga on Sazh. The explosion does some hits on Vanille and Fang as well. Hope shifts back into Ravager and casts his offensive magic. After restoring everyone's health, Vanille shits back into Ravager as well.

Barthandelus begins Destrudo. The monster charges the lasers on its shoulders. That doesn't look good. Sazh and Lightning shifts back into Commando and starts attacking. We fight the fal'Cie, uninterrupted as well (Having to switch shifts that is) Accept for me, for I had to shift into Synergist and cast Haste on us all again. Honestly, why is it that spell have the shortest duration?

After a long minute, the fal'Cie is fully charged. Realizing that, Fang shifts into Sentinel and casts Wide Guard. Hundreds of massive lasers blast out of the fal'Cie, causing massive explosions all over the field. And I thought the Thanatosian Smile was painful. This one put us to near death.

Hope, Vanille, even Lightning had to shift into Medic and heal our wounds. Snow shifts into Sentinel and he and Fang holds off the fal'Cie's attacks. Barthandelus does Baptism in Ruin on Snow then Fang. After recovering, Vanille, Hope and Lightning shifts back to their previous roles and attacks. Snow and Fang does the same.

The battle goes on, nothing important. Just some spells and attacks, Barthandelus attacking us with his Ruin and Ruinga spells. Pretty boring, I don't want to waste your time. I'm already wasting your time by telling you I don't want to waste your time.

The fal'Cie finally falls. It staggers and falls down, shining and shimmering until it vanishes and fades.

"A fal'Cie running the Sanctum..." Snow points out.

"Then...I guess it wasn't Eden controlling things after all." Hope says.

"When I hear the Sanctum are puppets to the fal'Cie...I'd never expect it to be anything like this." I say.

A sudden single rumble happens. "As I said." Barthandelus reappears, in his human form. "I am Lord-Sovereign."

"Guess fal'Cie don't go down as easy as the rest of us." Sazh says.

"You think?" I asked.

"Easy is not the issue. You have not fought to win." Barthandelus says. "You should know quite well already the sure way of dispatching our kind." We all look Barthandelus a bit surprised, as he holds his staff in front of him. "Ragnarok."

We're all speechless, except Fang who's just confused. "What's Ragnarok?" She asks.

After asking, Fang puts a hand on her brand and groans, says she suddenly feels pain from it. Barthandelus chuckles. "Pitiful l'Cie. You've forgotten your Focus. Ragnarok is the beast." Barthandelus points a finger at us, slowly moving it from one line to the next. "One of you must become in order to lay waste to Cocoon."

We are all surprised to hear this. I just protested. "You're lying!"

Barthandelus looks at me and smirks. "Am I really? You have had the dream. One among you all will become that monstrosity," Barthandelus vanishes and suddenly reappears behind us. "defeat Orphan," We all suddenly turned around hearing him only to see he vanished then reappeared back in front of the throne. "and destroy Cocoon."

"Orphan?" Lightning asks.

"The font of Eden's power. Orphan fuels Eden with strength, and in turn sustains you and the rest of your kind...Destroy Orphan and you'll release a force such as this world has never seen...Cocoon will be torn to sunder."

Fang gets back on her feet. "So if I do that...destroy Orphan."

"Your Focus will be fulfilled." Barthandelus finishes for Fang.

Lightning runs up to the fal'Cie with her weapon at hand. "So what?" Lightning strikes, only to have failed when Barthandelus vanishes and reappears. "Who says it has to be?"

Barthandelus chuckles at Lightning. Snow takes out Serah's crystal and holds it up in the air. "Serah asked us to save Cocoon, when she turned to crystal. Save it, and that's what we're gonna do!"

"For once, I agree with Villiers." I say, earning a surprised attention from the rest of the group, except from Fang who's not really surprised not knowing much of my hatred on the doofus. "Cocoon is our home, and Serah did asked us to save it. And that's what I'll do, even to my dying breath!"

Barthandelus just laughs at our little speech. "Allow me to help you see the truth of things. The moment you arrived, your friend wept crystal tears. This was because her Focus was required you would be brought together." How he talks about Serah just makes my blood boil with rage. "That girl did nothing but assemble the tools for Cocoons destruction."

Snow is completely shocked and speechless, even stumbled back and look down at Serah's crystal tear. "Did it never occur to you? Or did you simply refuse to countenance the thought?"

I aim a loaded bow at the fal'Cie and instantly fired. "Shut up!" The arrow pierces the barrier around Barthandelus and deflects into the sky.

Sudden, the airship starts rumbling, which staggers all of us. "If you will not face the truth, then face the peril of your plight."

Barthandelus little mechanical bird, Menrva, flies in, soars above us, then the bird grows bigger and bigger until it changes into some giant airship.

Barthandelus floats up in the air, slowly vanishing. "Run, l'Cie. See how stark reality is!"

Barthandelus vanishes, then a large explosion happens, causing a quake within the airship. "Come on!" Lightning says.

Lightning and everyone else, except me, runs up to the fal'Cie airship. "Wait! We're not actually gonna get on that thing, are we?" I asked. No one answered or hesitated to get on, just ran in like they didn't even hear me. I sighed and get on shortly afterwards.

The Palamecia starts crumbling and slowly falling out of the sky. An explosion happens underneath the head of the large airship, that's where me and the others fly out on Menrva.

"This is bad. The yoke's jammed." Sazh says, panicking.

Lightning is surprised. "I knew it was a trap." I point out.

"Something's coming." Hope says. We all look ahead. From the distance, is a large warship known as The Proudclad. In the warship is Yaag Rosch, who is seeking to bring down the airship the l'Cie are in.

Yaag spots the airship and chases after us. "Not so fast l'Cie!"

The Proudclad releases a dozen missiles, which locks onto the airship and flies towards it.

"Hang on!" Sazh alerts. Sazh drives the airship into evasive actions. The missiles explodes right near us. When all of them are gone, Menrva starts chasing after the Proudclad and starts firing lasers at it.

The Proudclad avoids the shoots, then unleashes another dozen missiles. The missiles flies at us, all together. They hit us and we start falling in the damaged fal'Cie, until the airship recovers and takes flight again.

"The hell kind of ships is this?" Sazh slams his fist on the wheel in frustration. "Fighting on it's own?"

Menrva chases after the Proudclad and starts shooting at it again. Roach takes evasive actions from the fal'Cie airship. "Clever aren't you?"

The Proudclad chases after Menrva, firing everything its got. The barriers on Menrva got damaged and then soon, so does the fal'Cie.

"Can't we do something?" Hope asks in a panic.

"Got me. I give up." Sazh says.

I look ahead, I see a large city. It's Eden. "Fly towards the shield!" I say.

Sazh looks back at me. "Are you crazy?"

"Just do it!" I yelled.

Sazh drives Menrva towards the shield. As if it weren't there, we fly right in. The Proudclad tries to follow us, only it just crashes into the barrier.

Looking back, we see that the warship couldn't follow us in. Then we all sign in relief. Except for Vanille, who's startled.

"Sazh! Look out!" We all look ahead, to see we're about to hit a large tower.

Before Sazh could do anything, it was too late. We crashed right into it.


	14. The Fifth Ark

A/N: We're all now together again, isn't that nice? Well it's not nice for me. Not cause of Fang, Hope, Vanille, Sazh and Lightning, but only because of Snow Villiers. You all know I can't stand the doofus. We're now in the Fifth Ark, where are find our way out of the l'Cie training tower with only little hope.

Chapter 10: The Fifth Ark

We all lay around in the area, knocked out from the impact of the tower of the Fifth Ark. Instantly, Vanille sits up and is wide awake like the crash never happened. "Who's alive!"

"Not me." Hope says, weakly. He's not really injured or anything, but he's still trying to recover conscious.

"Me neither." Sazh says, raising a hand.

Snow sits up, moaning with a hand on his head. He looks to see a leg that's facing backwards from Snow. Snow doesn't look pleased seeing it, believe that's his own leg. Snow grabs it and twists it hard, trying to bend it back forward, but that only earns him a painful yell from beneath.

Snow is laying on me and that's my leg he's toying with. Snow looks down realizing it's me. I look at Snow angrily. "Villiers!" I growled at him.

"Sorry." Snow twists my foot back in place, also making me yell painfully.

Snow gets off of me and I stand up, punching Villiers in the jaw, knocking him back. Lightning walks up to me, pointing at her head.

"I believe this belongs to you." Lightning says.

I look up to see she's wearing my hat. I look up at my head then feel it, realizing my hat's gone. "My hat." I grab my hat from Lightning's head and put it back on mine. "Thanks."

After a moment of recovery, we all stand and gather around. "Where are we?" Lightning asks.

"Looks like a piece of Pulse." Vanille says.

"Pulse? What, you mean like the Bodhum Vestige?" Sazh asks. "Something like that, this close to Eden..."

"Yeah, well, what I don't understand is, after the Purge, and all that l'Cie paranoia. Why keep a chunk of Pulse under the floorboards?" Fang asks.

"It's pretty mysterious." I add.

"Is this what the Primarch wanted us to see?" Hope asks.

"A place for l'Cie to accept their fate." Lightning says.

"Do you really think our Focus is what Dysley said it is?" Hope says, a little nervous.

"You mean...become Ragnarok." Vanille explains.

"Destroy the fal'Cie Eden, and shatter Cocoon." Sazh adds.

"I don't think so. He's probably just trying to mislead us." I say.

We all stay silence for a moment. "So, we're back to square one. Out of luck." Sazh says.

Vanille looks at Snow, leaning forward with her hands behind her. "Mr. Hero! Cocoon calling Snow."

I just slap Vanille on the back of her head hearing that, even though Snow's not responding, he just looks completely lost and hopeless. "Don't waste your time calling 'Mr. Hero'." I say in a bitter tone.

"It's almost like Dysley wants it to come true." Hope says.

"Seems that way. He sure didn't mind explaining it. 'Here's your Focus on a silver platter.'" Sazh says.

"But, that doesn't make sense. I don't get it." Vanille says. "Why would a Cocoon fal'Cie want to destroy Cocoon?"

I'm not surprised she doesn't. What a silly girl. "Maybe it's a fal'Cie thing. You know what I mean? Some grand design we just don't understand." Hope says.

"Yeah, well, I don't believe our Focus is to bring Cocoon to its knees." I say, earning looks from Hope and Vanille. "Dysley is just trying to deceive us, so we would fail to protect Cocoon."

Silence falls to us again. Not even Snow says anything, which surprises me since every time we have conversions like this, the doofus speaks up.

"Hey, Snow! Nothing from you?" Fang calls to Snow.

Snow still remains silent. "Ah let him rot for all I care." I say, moving ahead with everyone else following me afterwards.

Me and Lightning stopped however when Snow speaks. Everyone else just kept moving on ahead. "Hey, Uh. I gotta apologize." We all look back at Snow. "It looks like I was wrong."

"About Serah's Focus? Not like you to second-guess yourself." Lightning says.

"Well, even heroes make mistakes, like you said." Snow says.

"What about your plan to protect Cocoon?" Lightning asks, but receives no answer. "Either way your faith in Serah was strong. That strength got you this far."

"It certainly did for me." I say.

"It was all wrong." Snow says.

"Yeah. You tried so hard to convince us that you even fooled yourself. You've been a total idiot." Lightning says.

I just crossed my arms looking at Snow. "A total doofus in my dictionary."

Lightning doesn't even respond to my sentence, but she does keep on continuing. "But still...it saved me." I was pretty surprised to hear that. What on earth would Snow's stupidity saved Lightning? "You trusted Serah." Lightning looks back at Snow. "Let that faith drive you. It even made me want to believe."

Snow says nothing else. Lightning moves on ahead. I watch the soldier girl leave. It's just me and Snow now. Snow sighs and stands up. "Listen..." I look at Snow. "You know, I really am sorry...about everything. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I had to apologize."

I say nothing, just glared at Villiers. Snow takes out Serah's crystal tear, holds it in front of him, looking at it. He stares as if he's trying to talk to Serah. Snow then lets it rest on his palm, right in front of me. I just look down at the crystal tear. "Here...you should take it. You deserve Serah better then me."

I still say nothing. I'm completely silenced at Snow's words and his offer. I'm not touched, that changes nothing in my cold heart for Snow. I lift my hand, above the crystal, I was about to grab it, but now I'm starting to have second thoughts.

Why did she give him that tear? For a good reason? I'm Serah's close friend. Lightning is her sister and only family. What is Snow? Her idiot boyfriend? Her hero? Why give the tear to him and not me or Lightning? That's the one thing I don't understand about Serah's choice. But...she's still my friend. Why would I deny her choice?

I lower my hand, denying the crystal tear. I shot Snow a look, humphed and make my leave. Snow just watches me leave. After I'm about fifteen feet away from Snow, I stopped.

"Serah is my friend. My best friend. The closest friend I could ever have." I say, not even turning back to look at Snow. "But Serah...she didn't give it to me." There was silence for a moment. "If she would give something that special to you...you should keep it." I turn my head to mer shoulder, barely looking at Snow over it. "But this changes nothing..."

I continue walking. Snow's pretty surprised to hear that, didn't expect me to go soft on him, even though I tried to kill him hours ago back on the Palamecia. Snow holds the crystal tear right in front of him, looking into it.

"Serah...talk to me, baby." Snow says.

As I walk, I stop when I saw Fang. She's leaning against the wall, arms crossed and smirking at me. I don't like the look on her face.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't pretend I didn't hear that." Fang says. "Admit it." Fang walks up to me and pinches my cheek. "You got a soft side for Snow."

I pull Fangs hand off of me and then give her a shove. "Shut up."

"Oh come on. First it's sparing his life and now this." Fang says.

"Don't remind me about sparing Villiers." I say. "Besides, I only did it for Serah."

"Right..." Fang says, unconvinced. Snow catches up to us, but he doesn't stop, just kept on moving. "By the way...I think we got off on the wrong feet before." Fang holds out a hand. "Name's Fang."

I look at Fangs hand, then shakes it, looking up at Fang. "Patrick."

"I gotta tell yea. I'm impressed with what you did back in Lake Bresha. You got moxy, kid." Fang says.

"Thanks...you weren't too bad yourself with that Wyvern." I say.

"A girl has her ways." Fang says, spinning her lance above her.

"Are you two coming?" Lightning asks, from up ahead.

Me and Fang looks at the group ahead, then we follow them. We all move on ahead, walking through the Pulse wastelands on the Ark. We arrive at some strange room with containers everywhere.

"I can't believe we're still in Cocoon." Hope says.

"It's kind of creepy." Sazh says.

"It's pretty strange, I'll say." I say.

Some strange happens. The floor glows red and then our brands start to hurt, real bad, and it's not cause we're being forced to summon our eidolon's or, in Hope's, Vanille's and Fang's case, challenge one.

After a minute, the glow and pain stops. "What the...what was that?" I asked.

For an answer, the containers opens, realizing Pulsework Knight's all over the area. Two of them comes up to us and attacks us. We ready ourselves and then attack the machines. Vanille and Hope casts their magic spells at the robots. Sazh and Lightning shifts into Ravager and does the same, or in Lightning's cast, element attacks.

Snow shifts into Sentinel to hold off the creatures, while me and Fang attacks in our Commando role. We fought hard against the robots. When they shifted, opening up their armor, Lightning, Snow and Sazh shifted into Commando, and attack those weak armored creatures.

After killing them, we take a moment to rest, except for Vanille who moves up ahead up the stairs. Vanille takes a look at the next room, which is a large training area. The rest of us catches up to Vanille, then we take a look at the view of the area.

"This place...it must be an Ark." Vanille says.

"An Ark?" Lightning asks.

"That's what they called them." Fang says.

"Long ago, the fal'Cie who made their home on Gran Pulse were afraid of invasion from the outside." Vanille explains. "As part of their battle preparations, they created an army of living weapons. And they stared those weapons in Arks, and they hid the Arks all over the world."

"Everyone on Gran Pulse knew the legend." Fang adds.

"So, this is basically a Pulse armory." Lightning wonders.

"Most of us never believed in them." Fang says. "A few people tried searching, but they never found a thing." We were all silent for a moment. "Who'd have thought to look on Cocoon?"

"Right under our noses. That's some secret they kept." Sazh says.

"A place where you least expect it. Pretty clever I'll say." I added.

"Those Sanctum guys, what are they up to?" Sazh asks.

"That story's not done. There's more." Vanille says.

"They use to say the Arks had a more practical purpose. To force l'Cie to master their shiny new powers." Fang says.

"So...like a training ground." I say. Fang nods.

"Okay, so I get it. Dysley's goal is to forge us into stronger weapons. Right."

"Not Cie'th, but monsters all the same." Sazh says.

"Cie'th aren't weapons. They're monsters. Mindless and feral." I point out.

After our conversation, we make our way through the Fifth Ark. The passage and routes are like a maze, and it's crawling with a ton of Pulse creatures. Some are tough, others are weak. Either way, it's like facing a whole army.

Most of the fights, Me and Sazh had to shift into Synergist to strengthen the group. Hope and/or Vanille shifted into Medic and heal our wounds. If that's not enough, Fang had to go Saboteur and weaken the enemies defenses, or slow them.

I always wondered about what Dysley says. About one of us becoming Ragnarok, and destroying Orphan and shattering Cocoon. There's no way that's true. Why trust a fal'Cie? Even one that's using the Sanctum. Playing puppet master with them. Serah told us to save Cocoon, and nothing else. If we are meant to destroy Cocoon, why tell us that?

I snap out of my thoughts when I get hit in the stomach by a Pulsework Knight. I look up at the machinery and cast Ruin at it.

The Pulsework Soldier falls with a Gunblade stabbed right through it. After it falls, Lightning walks up to me. "You keep daydreaming like that, it'll be your last."

"Sorry. I was just thinking." I say.

"About what?" Vanille asks, joining in.

I shook my head and walk past the two girls. "It's nothing."

We move down the hallway, leaving to the floor below us. Battling the creatures in here is hard, but it is making us stronger. Few of us, including me, have learned special abilities. Mine is the Black Shot. On the next battle against some bombs, I used it on one of them. Of course I had to shift into Saboteur to do it.

It deals great damage and it only places Defaith on it. I don't know why it casted Defaith on it, I guess I can't control what the ability applies to the enemy.

We arrive at the Vestibular Hold in the Ark. It's weird, the area we arrived is just like how we started in. Are we going in circles or are we experiencing Twilight Forest again? No wait, I'm pretty sure they're both the same thing.

The room is crawling with...oh man, that's just gross. It's crawling with slugs with plants on their heads. And I thought Villiers was ugly.

"Let's have some fun." Fang suggests, spinning her lance above her then jumping high. Hope and Vanille burns those slug-plants with their Firaga spells. That certainly took take of them. But I'm not surprised Fire is their weakness. I'm just glad it wouldn't be just salt. Cause then we'd have to find a bunch of salt and as-salt (Assault) them. Ha, ha. Good one, Patrick.

After taking down those creatures, we look ahead. There are two hallways, both leading in two different directions.

"Which way?" Hope asks.

"Let's go this way." Snow says, taking the right hallway.

"If he's doing that way, I'm going this way." I say, taking the one on the left.

"I'm with Mercenary boy here." Sazh says, following me.

"Same here. Ciao." Vanille says, skipping into the left hallway.

"I'll go wherever Vanille does." Fang says, following Vanille.

"I'll just guess." Lightning says, taking the left hallway.

Hope just shrugs his shoulders. "Guess I don't have much of a choice." Hope takes the left hallway.

As soon as Hope enters the hallway, Snow returns back into the area, realizing his way is a dead end. The hallway is crawling with more of those slug-plants, and now they're partnering up with some hideous blob creatures. Mini ones I might add. About 1/3 of Hope and Vanille's height. I might defeat them easily by stepping on them.

After easily defeating the creatures, we walk down the hallway, to find a dead end, how nice. Lightning finds a ledge for us to use to cross, and we go with it. Crossing through the ledge, we find another hallway and take it. The hallway takes us to the Lower Traverse.

The single hallway leads to a door. The door slides open, showing a large wide open area. The only passages there are the one up ahead, leading use to more monsters, to the ledge hugging the walls.

We went for the ledge and start climbing down on the rabble.

"Feels like hours. Is there a way out of this prison?" I ask.

"Quit complaining, boy. This is nothing." Fang says, jumping down.

We fall jump down on the rabble until we're about three levels down from the top, then we enter the hallway. The hallway takes us to the High Conflux, where we enter a large weaponizing room. There are large statues in the middle of the room...wait, they're not statues.

"These things...are alive." Sazh says.

"What's the Sanctum up to? Are they planning to start a war?" Fang asks.

I place my fingers on my chin, thinking while looking at the large Centurion's. "This is all very suspicious."

Just then, the two Immortals come to life and they come at us. "Great. Just what we needed." Snow says.

We fight the two creatures, of course we had to split into two groups. Lightning, Snow and Vanille takes on the one of the left. Fang, Sazh and Hope takes the one of the right. I just stand back and continuously switch targets and shooting both of them.

The fight against the monsters was long and hard, but they finally fall in the end. "And I thought things were starting to get too easy." I say.

"Let's get moving." Lightning says, moving on to the elevator ahead. The rest of us follows her. When we're all in, Lightning activates the elevator and we all started moving down. "Well, at least we shouldn't run into PSICOM here."

"That's true, Farron. They wouldn't think to find us in an Ark in Eden." I say.

The elevator takes us all the way to the Inner Conduit. Inside the Inner Conduit, it's the same area where we started at and we were after that one. I'm getting déjà vu, I'll tell you that.

This time, the area is crawling with this slime blobs and Spooks. (Penguins I like to call them) We fight the creatures, which went down easy. Oh great, now the enemies are becoming too easy once again. What, are we on level 1, easy mode in this 'training grounds' of the Ark?

After killing the creatures, we move on ahead, down the subway. This time, we didn't bother to pick since the other one is blocked at a shorter distance.

The passage had no enemies in it. But of course, when we had to make a U-turn at the end of the tunnel, to enter the one next to it, we run into a large Behemoth. Finally, a tough enemy.

We fight the Behemoth. The beast is pretty vicious, even Fang had to shift into Sentinel to block its attacks for us, and I had to go Saboteur and weaken his defenses.

At near death, the behemoth stand on its hind legs, pulled out its horn that turns into a weapon and roars, regaining its health. I seriously hate it when they do that. I then cast Debravery on the monster to weaken his attacks against us. Shortly after that, I shift back into Commando and resume shooting at it.

The behemoth finally falls. I walk up to its corpse and glare down at it. "I hate it when they go all standing on hind legs and mega offensive, it's pretty annoying." I say.

Everyone else walks past me. "You learn to get use to it, honey." Fang says as she walks past me.

"Will you stop call me that!?" I say with irritation in my tone, following the rest of the group. We walk down the hallway up until we reached a dead end. On the side is a metal staircase. We take it, then at the end of it, the cat walk, hopped on and off of the top of some pillar, back on the catwalk then onto the ground of the next tunnel.

On the way in, we're greeted by another Behemoth. We fought it the same way we did the last time, only this time, we've manage to kill it before it can go all 'Mega-offensive'. Thank goodness.

We move on ahead to the room, and then to the next hallway. The hallway was clear, and it's quiet...a little too quiet. I don't like it.

We arrive at some widen open area. In the center of it is Cid Raines.

"Raines?" Snow asks.

Raines slowly approaches us. Me, Vanille, Fang and Sazh are surprised, my kind of surprise was unpleasant.

"Sanctum!" I say, taking out my bow and an arrow.

I aim my loaded bow on Raines, up until Snow tries to stop me. "Easy Patrick, it's all right. Raines is a Sanctum officer. He's been helping us out."

Snow was about to approach Raines, but Fang stops him holding out an arm in front of him.

"Why are you here?" Fang asks.

Hearing that disapproval in Fangs tone have as all startled. Raines doesn't answer, which made Lightning pretty mad.

"Raines." Lightning takes out her weapon and charges at him. "You TRAITOR!"

Raines dodges Lightnings attack, Lightning still attacks Raines, and with each attack, he blocks it. Raines grabs Lightning by the wrist, disarms her and knocks her back with a flip. That certainly knocked the girl down, I've never seen Lightning been put down like that.

Raines grabs hold of Lightnings weapon. "I put you on the path, that was my Focus."

We were all surprised to hear that. Expect for me, I just slap Snow in the back of the head, earning his attention. "He's helping us out, huh?" I say with doubt and disapproval.

"You're a l'Cie?" Fang asks.

"Since long before we met." Raines answered. "I did my best to assist you, as bid by the sanctum fal'Cie. Now do you understand?" Fang looks down with shame, how could she have not seen or known that was coming. "The fal'Cie have watched over you, guiding your every step. The 'luck' that saved you time and again was a deliberate machination. Why you may ask?"

We don't really bother asking our answering that. "The Primarch, or should I say, Barthandelus, is crafting you into the instruments for Cocoons demise."

"Yeah, well, we're already much aware of that." I say.

"We've been played for fools." Fang says.

"A Cocoon fal'Cie? Why?" Sazh asks.

"Why?" Raines holds out Lightnings weapon in front of him. "To restore the maker."

"The maker?" Hope asks.

"The entity responsible for creating both humans and fal'Cie. And calling back the maker requires a fitting sacrifice." Raines says.

Lightning gets back on her feet. "Yeah, we've heard. The destruction of Cocoon."

"The lives of this worlds entire populace and blood tribute." Raines throws Lightnings weapon back at her, and she catches it.

"No. That's crazy talk!" Sazh says.

"I'm with Sazh on this." I say. "You're talking nonsense."

"I don't get it. Why would they need us?" Hope asks. "Couldn't the fal'Cie end Cocoon with just a thought?"

"Their existence is bound to the creation and maintenance of this floating shall. It is their very nature that holds them in check." Raines says.

"You mean...Cocoon fal'Cie can't destroy Cocoon." Hope asks.

"In some ways, it makes sense." I say. "Why would a fal'Cie destroy it's own home?"

"If we can stop this by doing nothing. We'll do nothing." Vanille says.

Vanilles words only brings a bad image in my head. If I do nothing, I'll end up as a Cie'th, just like my father once did. What a cruel fate.

"Well, I'm just not gonna sit around and do nothing." I say, looking back at Vanille. "My father did nothing with his Focus, and ended up as a Cie'th." I turn back at Raines, putting a hand on my arm, right where the brand rests. "I will not suffer the same fate."

"Noble. I'd expect as much." Raines says.

"You lied to us." Is all Snow could say after being silent through the entire conversation.

I just rolled my heads and slight shook my head. Duh. _Of course he did, captain obvious_. I thought.

"What happened to your dream of rebuilding Cocoon for the people?" Snow asks, but then yells at the next part of his sentence. "Was it all a lie?"

"As shadow of a dream, from when I was human." Rinse says. "It was change I curved, and once I'd build the influence to make things happen, there was change. I gained all the power I could hope for, but was a puppet with no will to wield it."

The back of Raines right hand starts to glow, I'm guessing that's where his brand rests. "It wasn't the fal'Cie who changed...It was me."

Vanille seemed a bit sadden hearing this. "You...you were made a l'Cie?" Vanille asks.

"A l'Cie. Tied to an inescapable Focus, a slave of destiny...I'd lost hope. I'd all but given up on dreams of freedom."

I get what he means. There are times when I wish I could be free from this guilt inside of me. But that is nothing more then a mere dream.

"What are you saying?" Sazh asks.

"I'm here of my own accord, not by fal'Cie order. Seeing you fight brought it all back. Brought back that future I once strove for." Raines brand starts to glow even brighter. "I, too, will challenge my fate."

Raines raises his hand in the air, unleashing powerful l'Cie magic. All of us are settled by the unleashed power. Raines snaps his fingers, and a wall that matches his brand appears behind us, then multiple spreads until we're completely surrounded.

"If I can defeat you here, the fal'Cie plan will fail." Fang isn't too happy to hear that, even called out to him. "I will use all of my remaining power."

Raines unleashes a blinding light, and a nova wave, as he turns into a Crystallized Cie'th. "I WILL SET YOU FREE!"

Raines shifts into Commando. We all attack Raines. Hope and Vanille stays back casting their offensive magic. Me and Sazh shoots at the cursed l'Cie. Raines punches and kicks powerfully at Snow, then knocks him into the air. Afterwards, Raines casts Ruin three times at Lightning. Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Cura on Snow then Lightning.

Raines strikes at Fang then knocked her in the air. After that, Raines shifts into Sentinel and does Guard. While he's on Guard, we take advantage of that moment. Me, Hope and Sazh shifted into Synergist and bless everyone with our buffs. Vanille and Fang shifts into Saboteur and they weaken Raines's defenses. Lightning shifted into Medic and heal our wounds.

By the time we're all done, we shift back into our previous roles and Raines ends his guard then shifted into Commando. We all attack Raines, which was quite a pounding for the Cie'th now. Raines casts Ruinga at me. Ruinga explodes and hits Sazh, Hope and Vanille as well, since they're close to me.

Raines shifted into Medic and casts Curaga on himself repeatly. Fang quickly shifts into Saboteur, then casts Fog on Raines, silencing his spell casting. Fang shifts back into Commando, so does Raines, and they resume attacking. Raines charges to me, doing his powerful punch and kicks then knocks me into the air. Man, his blows are painful, even though I have Protect on me.

After downing about half of Raines Health, Raines Metamorphoses', sprouts eight wings then begins to unleash Seraphic Ray. Rain's unleashes a blinding ray of light, dispelling the debuffs on him and then gaining Protect, Shell and Vigilance. The Seraphic Ray also dispels our buffs.

Raines casts Ruin at Hope, then Ruinga at Sazh. We all attack Raines, at a weaker strength and power. Raines shifts into Sentinel and Guards. We take the advantage once again and strengthen up. But this time, Vanille shifts into Medic and heals us, I shift into Saboteur and does Black Shot at Raines.

My ability dispels his Protect and Vigilance, then puts Debrave and Poison on him. After the time passed, Raines finishes his guard, and we all return to our previous shifts. We all continue attacking Raines. Raines strikes at Hope then knocks him into the air. He repeats the same thing with Lightning.

Striking down Raines was pretty tough. The Cie'th doesn't know how to back down.

At his defeat, Raines gasps and staggers, until he falls onto his hands and knees. We all just stand and watch the cursed Cie'th on his last knees.

We all lower our weapons. "Ironic isn't it." Raines says. "The only thing I wanted was a moment of triumph...How it ends isn't important." Bits of crystal dust starts to shimmer around Raines. "Just do what you know...is right. Trust...yourselves."

Raines glows very brightly, blinding even. We all had to turn away from the light. Once it clears, the Crystallized Raines stands in the lights wake.

"What? Did he complete his Focus?" Sazh asks.

"Must have. Why else would he turn to Crystal?" I asked.

"I don't think so." I look at Snow hearing that, to see the doofus is walking up to the crystal statue. "All Raines did was try to save Cocoon his own way...his own way." I can hear a bit of anger from Snow at the end there.

Shortly afterwards, Snow turns back, walks past us and down the continued path ahead.

"Hey! Where are you-" Lightning speaks, before Vanille does.

"Snow!" Snow just kept on going.

Shimmering noises and large glowing happens behind us. We all turn to see that the Crystallized Raines is starting to fade away. We were all surprised to see this. How is that even possible?

Once he was gone, the rest of us follows Snow down the hallway. We arrive at an elevator. Lightning turns it on and it takes us downwards.

We all just stand and thought as the elevator moves. However, we were snapped out of our thoughts when we're being attacked by some circuitrons, bomb creates that fell from above us.

"Great. Just what we need." I say, taking out my bow. We all defend ourselves, and attack the creatures while riding an elevator. Whoa, elevator fight. What is this? Final Fantasy VII? Then again, I would be asking that if it were a boss fight.

After defeating the enemies, the elevator stops and we all got off, arriving at the Central Conflux. We run down the hallway, through the doors, to arrive at the large open room from before, where we had to jump down through the rabble before arriving at the High Conflux. Oh great, we're gonna have to do this all over again. I think I'd rather take the Purge.

Actually, it's not as bad as it was before, this time, we only had to go down one level, then we take the path leading us into the hallway.

We arrive at some room. Once we did, an alarm goes on. The cages open and the Circuitrons and Pulsework Knights, they slowly come to our direction.

"I guess they don't train l'Cie to make peace." Lightning says.

We all fight against the Pulse creatures. Once they were down, we move on ahead. The next room was another training room. More Pulsework Knights were brought out upon our arrival.

We down those robotic soldiers. Those knights aren't really putting up much of a challenge, I guess since the Ark is starting to toughen us up.

We move on further down the hallway. The next few places we've visit are more training rooms. One of them was tough cause it had a Behemoth.

We've manage to make it to the elevator. Once on, Lightning turns it on and we all move downwards.

I start to let my mind wonder off. "Something on your mind?" Vanille asks me.

"It's nothing." I say.

In truth, I wondered about Raines. He turned into a Cie'th, but after that, he turned into crystal. Makes me wonder if my father still could have been saved from his twisted faith.

When the elevator lands, we continue on in the Transept. Up ahead is a large room with a giant Centurion in the middle. A Berserker.

The creature comes to live and attacks us. "How nice." I say, taking out my bow.

We all fight the large monster. The beginning of the fight, it just stand here in a guard stance, only it was guarding itself, it was actually tying to summon a Forged Blade.

Weapons that come to life on their own will. That's just annoying. Me and Snow focus on our attention on the forged blade while everyone else handles the Berserker.

After the fight, we move on ahead. We arrive at some bridge. While walking on it, a group of Demons, Stikini's and Skata'ne's, appeared out of no where.

"Oh no!" Vanille says.

"Is there no end to this?" Sazh asks.

We fight our way through the bridge. These strange machine-like birds are crazy fighters. Hope even had to shift into Medic and heal our wounds.

We've finally made it across the bridge and run down the hallway. We entered the vaults. It seems empty, but once we arrived, the alarm goes off and the door behind us shuts. It certainly startled us. We're all standing, on huge alert and armed.

Two large berserkers comes out. "Oh come on!" Sazh shouts.

"Quit complaining, old man." Fang says, taking out her lance.

"It's nice to find a tough fight once in a while." I say.

We fight against the berserkers. Sazh, Fang and Hope on one. Lightning, Vanille and Snow on the other. I'm on both, continuously switching. I also grant Bravery and Faith on everyone. You know who gets what. Bravery on the warriors and Snow and Faith on the spell casters.

The berserkers strikes at their groups. Frankly, I think it's crazy their known as berserkers when they're not...well, crazy creatures. If anything, just enlarge and tough fighters.

After killing those giant machines, we move on ahead. At the end of the room, the door slides open, and we all walk outside, in the Apse. It's nothing but a dead end, a wasteland of destroyed buildings and objects.

"Looks like it's a dead end." Hope says.

"It would seem that way." I say, looking around.

Lightning looks at me with surprised. "Oh really? What happened to 'there are no dead ends'?"

I look at Lightning with a big of disapproval. "Hey, unless we can grow wings and fly, I've got nothing."

"If the stories are right, it's a maze." Vanille says.

"This place is a boot camp for l'Cie. All kinds of challenges from Gran Pulse are waiting." Fang mentions.

"Challenges, huh? To get us all ready to go wipe out Cocoon?" Sazh asks.

"We can wait here if turning Cie'th sounds better." Fang says, looking at Sazh.

Hearing that vexes me. "You saying I should end up like my dad?" I asked Fang.

Fang turns to me. "Easy there, tiger. I didn't mean...wait, what happen to your dad?"

I can feel my temper raising. Lightning puts a hand on Fang's shoulder, looking at her. "He doesn't want to talk about it. Leave it be."

"All right, all right." Fang says, turning around.

I calm down afterwards, but Sazh isn't calm. "I have had enough of this! Where's the way out?"

"Way out? Who said there was one?" Snow asks. snow moves up ahead. "My mind's made up. Maybe I will end up a Cie'th. But until that happens, I'm gonna make Serah proud."

"What do you know what would make Serah proud?" I ask Snow.

Snow turns to me, taking out the crystal tear. "I couldn't bring myself to admit that this tear meant good-bye. And that's why I kept searching for her." I was about to say something, but Snow kept on talking. "But I didn't need to. Serah was here the whole time." Snow shows up the tear saying that.

Having a piece of Serah means she's always with us. He ain't wrong, I'm doing the same thing with my mother's necklace. "Now I get it. What this tear's been telling me is to not let our Focus win." Snow adds. "It's not the fal'Cie we should listen to. It's Serah, and Raines. Do you know why?" We didn't answer, just stay silent. "Because our Focus doesn't matter! What matters to me is that we protect Cocoon, whatever it takes!"

"Same here." Vanille says. Vanille walks up to Snow. "I'll help you do it."

Snow holds out his hand, and Vanille puts her on top of it, then Hope. "All right. I'm in."

The little chocobo chick flies in on the joined hands and jumps. Sazh doesn't say anything, but Snow does. "I mean, come on! When a chocobo agrees, you know you're on the right path!"

Lightning and Sazh joins in. Me and Fang are the ones left out. I just sigh and join in. "I'm gonna regret this."

"Well, count me out." We were all surprised to hear Fang say that. We even turned to face her. "If you all want to go it on your own..." Fang takes out her lance, turned against us. "Then so will I!"

"Fang. What are you saying?" I asked.

"Let Cocoon get what's coming. They hate us for being l'Cie. What's it to me if they die?" Fang says. "Better that than watch a friend go Cie'th!"

"Hey, I get what you mean, Fang. But Cocoon is our home, and we will protect it." I say.

"Humph. If you don't have the nerve for it, then I'll do it myself." Fang says. "Go on alone, get stronger, and smash Cocoon out of the sky!"

Vanille seems worried. "Fang?"

Fang drops on her knees, with a painful expression. "You turn Cie'th and there's no coming back!" Fang puts a hand on her brand. "I'm not..." Her brand starts to glow. It's Eidolon time. "Letting it end that way!"

Fang screams in pain as a large summoning circle appears under her feet. We look up to see the clouds in the sky are swirling, gathering. The circle blasts a beam into the sky. In the sky, a large purple sphere appears. The sphere explodes and a large eidolon soars down as if it's been launched. Close to the ground, the eidolon breaks wind and reveals itself as a large dragon. Bahamut.

Fang looks up at the eidolon. "What's he doing here?" Fang asks. Fang stands up. "Come to take pity on me? Come to take care of a broken l'Cie?"

Bahamut just flies in place, glaring down at us all. "That thing's here to help us?" Snow asks.

"Yeah. 'help'." Fang says. "That's what Eidolons do, they help us. Eidolons are our salvation. If we can't decide what to do next, they come put us out of our misery!"

Bahamut casts casting a Inferno. "Wait, so you haven't made up your mind yet?" Snow asks.

I can see the eidolon is about to fire. "INCOMING!"

Bahamut fires, I cast a Shell in front us, blocking the flare. The blast knocks everyone but me, Fang and Vanille back. "Why are you protecting me?" Fang asks. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting one of our own. We can do without their brand of mercy." I say. "I'm fighting this Focus to the end. We all are!"

Fang takes a moment to take it in, then she nods. Fang gets up on her feet, spinning her lance then makes her battle stance. "Ready when you are!"

Bahamut casts Doom of Fang. She only has 180 seconds to live.

We start the fight with me in Synergist role, Vanille in Saboteur and Fang in Sentinel. I strengthen our attacks and defenses while Vanille weakens Bahamut's defenses. Fang defends herself as Bahamut attacks. Bahamut does Dragon Claw, strikes twice, then does Whirlwind, spin slashing.

Vanille shifts into Ravager and casts her Fira spells. Fang shifts into Commando and attacks the eidolon. Once I cast haste on us all, the last of my buff spells, I shift into Commando and start shooting.

Bahamut does Whirlwind, knocking us all in the air, then does Umbral Vise, channels powerful energy orbs in his claws and clashes them at us. When we're back on our feet, Vanille shifts into Medic and casts Curaga. I continue shooting and Fang strikes at the eidolon. Fang now has 90 seconds to live.

Bahamut casts Ignis, blasts a fireball at us, and it explodes causing a massive damage to all of us. I shift into Saboteur and cast Slow on Bahamut, then shift back into Commando and shoot at him. Vanille shifts back into Ravager and casts her offensive magic Bahamut does Whirlwind, knocking us all into the air, then Umbral Vise and lastly Ignis.

That certainly did a number on us all. Vanille shifts back into Medic and casts Curaga on us all. I cast Ruin at Bahamut. Bahamut does Dragon Claw at me, then casts Ignis. Vanille heals me then shifts back into Ravager, and attacks Bahamut with Watera.

Fang has 45 seconds to live. The tough warrior jumps high to the eidolon and strikes repeatly at him with her lance. Bahamut does Umbral Vise at Fang, interrupting the girls combo strikes and causing her to fall down. I shoot at the Eidolon. Fang gets back on her feet and continues striking at the eidolon.

With 28 seconds to spare, the Doom spell cancelled. Bahamut floats in the air, entering Gestalt mode. The eidolon shifts and transform into an aircraft. The Eidolon fades into crystal shards and Fang's brand absorbs him. Fang looks at her brand after the fight.

"Look! A new path!" Vanille says. We all looked ahead, to see some path of light is made. Where the heck did that come from? "Maybe that thing did save us."

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to call it a sign of me bring right?" Snow asks. I slap Villiers in the back of the head for saying that. Snow looks at me with disapproval, no one else says anything about his words. "No? Okay...Listen. Keep our eyes on the goal and we'll figure something out." We don't say anything, but Snow moves on ahead. "All right!"

Snow takes the path, and we all follow him afterwards. Halfway down the path, Vanille suddenly stops. "Hey! Look at that."

We all look at where the girl is pointing at. "An airship?" Hope asked.

We all walk up to the old airship. "And it's from Gran Pulse. I guess it was one of this Ark's weapons or something."

"Could be." I say.

Fang looks up at the say. "That's a gate to Grand Pulse." We all look up to see some large green gate in the sky.

"So, why, that's our exit? Pulse or bust?" Sazh asks.

"Could be one of Dysley's traps." Lightning says.

"A passage to Hell. Could be." I say.

Vanille looks back at Lightning. "Well that's not good. Do you think it might take us to Eden?"

Sazh steps up to the airship. "I'm doing the flying. No more of these ships taking charge of our travel plans stuff. Only place this thing is taking us..." Sazh points his thumbs at his arms. "Is where these boys tell it to."

Fang just laughs at Sazh's pride. "Ha! Really? That is a Gran Pulse ship."

Sazh turns to look at us. "I'm with Fang on this one. You sure you know how to fly a Gran Pulse ship?" I asked.

"Leave it to me!" Sazh tells us. Sazh plants his fist on his chest, causing the old man to enter a coughing fit. "I'm okay."

"Either way, we're on borrowed time." Snow says. "Might as well go." Snow slaps Sazh on the back, ending his fit. "We get lucky, maybe we'll even turn up some way to get rid of these goofy tattoos." Snow shows up his brand at 'goofy tattoos'.

"I wish there was a way to get rid of the goofy oaf." I say, turning from Snow.

"But there's no way to do that." Vanille says with doubt, about Snow's thought that is.

Fang puts a hand on Vanilles head. "You never know. Maybe we just didn't think to look for one."

"If nothing else, we know Cocoon is safe for the time being." Hope says. "I'd say it's worth going to take a look."

"I'm with the kid. Anything's worth a look." I say.

"Maybe." Lightning says.

"All right. Let's do it! I'm with you, bad choices and all." Sazh says.

"Of course I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out. Pulse is hell, you know." Hope says.

"Oh, is it, now?" Fang says, getting all sassy. "How many times have you been there?"

"Fang might have a point." I say, earning looks from everyone. "If there's one thing I know, you can't just a book by it's cover. Pulse is the book, and the stories of it from the sanctum is the cover."

"Right, but I want to go, and see what it's like for myself." Hope says.

I give Hope a pat on the bad. "Proud of yea, kid."

"Okay, people." We all look at Snow. Snow turns back at us. "So, everybody in?"

We all agreed, and we get on the airship. Sazh turns it on and the airship takes flight, heading towards the gate of the one place no one would dare go to: Gran Pulse.


	15. Gran Pulse part I

A/N: Now we're on chapter 11, part I of the chapter, where Lightning and the group arrives at the most miserable, terrifying, ugliest place in all of Final Fantasy XIII: Gran Pulse. I'm just kidding, Gran Pulse isn't really, as people have been saying, "hell on earth." I should also let you guys know that there's going to be a lot of extra scenes and they're gonna be pretty long. For some of them, I think they should have been in the game. Others...well, I figured I'd make the gang's time on pulse more interesting, cause the first half isn't really much interesting. Basically, they're just for fun. Well, on with the story:

Chapter 11: Gran Pulse

The Airship flies at hyper-speed. We're all having a rough time handling it. Even Sazh is struggling to keep control. Finally, the ship makes it out of the gate, we're here, on Gran Pulse.

"You did it!" Vanile cheers.

Sazh looks back, giving a thumb up. "Yeah! Told you, didn't I?"

We all look out the windshield, noticing the view of Pulse. It's defiantly nothing like Hell. Of course we spoke too soon when a large creature soars close to us, startling us.

"Playful little critter, isn't he?" Fang asks.

"He's playful, I'll give you that." I say, not taking my eyes off of it.

"Yeah, well play with someone else." Lightning comments.

"Happens all the time. He thinks we're lunch." Vanille says.

"Yeah, like a l'Cie-food buffet." Sazh says.

"Well this 'lunch' ain't gonna set well with him." I say. The creature flies towards us. "Look out!"

The monster slams into us, shattering the windows. Vanille and Hope gets blown out. Vanille grabs hold of the broken beam of the windshield, whole holding onto Hope.

My hat also got blown out. "Whoa! My hat!" I look back, then noticed Vanille and Hope are in trouble. Vanille loses her grip and she and Hope are blown away. "HANG ON!" I rush out of the airship, diving down towards them.

"Your friend is crazy." Fang says to Lightning.

"You'll learn to get use to it." Lightning says.

The airship starts falling. "Fang! Get them!" Snow demands.

"I'm on it!" Fang and Lightning jumps off the airship. Lightning readies her gunblade, shifted into gun mode. Fang summons her eidolon crystal, throws it in the air. Lightning shoots it, summoning Bahamut. Bahamut appears in its Gestalt form. He dives down to past the airship, to Fang and Lightning.

Fang and Lightning hops on the eidolon. The airship falls past the eidolon, and then Bahamut dives down to it. "Hey! Over here!" Sazh calls. Sazh and Snow hops off the fallen airship and onto Bahamut.

"You okay?" Vanille asks Hope.

"Oh yeah! I'm great." Hope says in sarcasm.

"Hey!" I shout at the two. They look back to see me diving down to them. I take out my rope, tie it to my waist. When I'm close, I grab on to Vanille and Hope.

I look up to see Bahamut coming towards us. I take out an arrow, tying the other end of the rope to it. I take out my bow, load the arrow to it and aim it at the eidolon.

"CATCH!" I shout, firing. While the arrow flies, I grab Hope and Vanilles hands. Lightning sees the arrow coming towards them.

When it's close, Lightning grabs the arrow. "Hold on." Snow and Sazh grabs hold of the rope. "We've got them!"

Fang commands Bahamut to halt. Once he does, me, Vanille and Hope are dangling in midair. Vanille and Hope looks down at the hundred foot drop below us.

"It's okay. I got you two." I say. I look up. "Bring us up!" Lightning and the others pull us up. After a minute, we've made it onto Bahamut. Vanille gives me a hug once we're on.

"Oh thank you!" Vanille says.

We all ride on Bahamut as it flies around the skies of Gran Pulse. "Home sweet home." Fang says. "Welcome to Gran Pulse."

We flied around the skies of Gran Pulse, as the sun starts to set. I look up, something caught my attention. "My hat!" Fang looks up and spots it. She commands Bahamut to flies towards it. I reach for it, then I get it when in range. "Get it!"

"What's with you and that hat?" Snow asks.

I look back at Snow. "Why don't you lose yours?"

Snow puts his hands on his head, as if to protect that bandanna of his. "No thanks, I'm good."

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Bahamut flies closer to the ground, until it lands right in the Vallis Media. One-by-one, we each hopped off the eidolon. Once fang was off, Bahamut vanishes. Fang and Vanille walks around the grass field of Gran Pulse. Vanille inhales deeply through her nose and releases an exhale sigh.

"Home sweet home." Vanille says.

"Yea, well. Not very welcoming." I say, talking about that little event that happened just moments ago.

Fang walks in front of the group, facing us. "Well..." Fang waves her arms around, introducing the land. "What do yea think?"

We all look around, mostly with confusion. "Well...it's certainly strange." Lightning says.

"No arguments there." I add.

Hope can hear his stomach growling. "Is there any food around? I'm starving."

"Well, if you want to eat, you gotta hunt for it." Fang says.

"So, we're roughing it. How nice." I add.

"Don't worry." Snow walks down a path. "Your hero is here to find us some food."

I just rolled my eyes, crossing my arms in front of my chest. Me and Fang stands close together, staring at the path Snow took. "He's not gonna last five minutes out there."

"Please. I bet 400 gil he wouldn't last 10 seconds out there." I say.

Fang turns to look at me. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Fang asks all sassy.

I don't say anything. Instead, I hold out three fingers, counting. "Three...two...one..." I point at the path ahead, at the same time, Snow comes back screaming in fear. Snow drops on his knees in front of us.

"It was terrible out there!" Snow says.

I smirk, looking down at Snow as I hold my hand in front of Fang. Fang sighs and pays up 400 Gil. "We need to make a plan. We need food and a place to camp for the night." Sazh says.

I walk ahead. "I'll find us something to eat."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Lightning asks.

I turn back, still walking but backwards this time. "I'll be fine, unlike Snow, I know how to survive. I'm a hunter."

I turn back around, walking straight forward. "You're a Mercenary." Lightning corrects.

"Most of my Mercenary jobs including hunting." I shout out.

Lightning crosses her arms. "He's never gonna find anything."

"Well, have faith." Vanille says. "In the meanwhile, let's set up a campsite."

While they're handling their campsite, I make my way through the fields of Gran Pulse. I find some strange Gysahl Greens. I know they're food for Chocobos, but I figured I'd bring some incase I don't find anything. It's better then nothing, I although I doubt anyone is gonna find these greens edible.

I make my way through the Yaschas Massif, all the way to the Paddraean Archaeopolis. I'm on the search for some creature to hunt for food. As I wonder, I gaze at my surrounds of Gran Pulse. How can anyone call a world this beautiful Hell? Sure, it has dangerous creatures all over the lands, but it's no different then the ones on Cocoon.

I arrive deep within the Paddraean Archaeopolis, as I walk, I noticed a ton of corpses with Rein's attached to the mouths, or peaks by the looks. I'm guessing, dead riding chocobos.

As I wonder, something captures my ears. The follow the sound all the way to the abandon ruins at the end of the Paddraean Archaeopolis.

I look down at the ground to find a white Chocobo being cornered by two large Behemoths and a medium sized one.

"Not on my watch." I say. I place my hand on the l'Cie brand and concentrate. The brand glows through my sleeve and the black crystal arrow appears in my hand. I toss the crystal in the air, and aim a loaded bow at it. "Omega!"

I shoot the arrow, shattering the crystal and summoning Omega Weapon. The Chocobo craws in fear as the Behemoths moved closer, but that changes when Omega Weapon lands right behind the beasts, causing a minor quake, and roars at them.

The Behemoths turned around, getting a look at Omega Weapon. I shift into Synergist and cast Bravery on myself. Then I shift into Commando. From where I stand, I aim my loaded bow at the Behemoths and shoots.

Omega Weapon casts Gravija at the Behemoths, then strikes one of the big ones with Shadow Slash. The Behemoths strikes at Omega Weapon, two swipes and a bite. I continue shooting at the Behemoths. Omega Weapon casts Magnitude 8, killing one of the big Behemoths. The other one stands on its hind legs, pulls out it's horn into a sword and roars.

Omega Weapon focuses on that large Behemoth, I focus on the small one, shooting it until I have it dead. Omega Weapon strikes at the Behemoth, then casts Meteor at it. The Behemoth does Sunder on Omega Weapon, doing a deadly slash at my eidolon.

I shift into Saboteur and do Black Shot at the monster. My Black Arrow removes the Behemoth's Bravery and Haste and applies Deprotect and Curse on it. The Behemoth finally falls, and then Omega Weapon vanishes.

I jump off the cliff and walk up the to Chocobo, who is cowering in the corner. I slowly approach the scared bird. "Hey, there...easy little fella."

The chocobo seems to calm down, but it's still scared. I reach into one of my packs, taking out the greens I found on my way. The chocobo kweh's in curiosity. Then looks closely at my hand and starts eating. As it eats, I started petting the chocobo. It was startled at first, but then realizes it's just a gentle pet.

I smile as it continues eating. "Hey, little fella. You're not so bad." My petting turns into scratching. The chocobo kweh's in excitement, enjoying it. "You're just a big old bird wanting some scratches, aren't yea?"

After I'm done scratching it, the chocobo starts rubbing on me, it really seems to be attracted to me. I tell the chocobo to stay. I make my way back to the path, up the cliff. I grab one of the rein's from the chocobo corpses. I return to the chocobo. I attempt to put the rein on it, at first, it didn't seem to want it, but on the second attempt, it allows it.

"Good girl. You're a good girl." I say. I give the chocobo another pet, she really enjoys it. After that, I stand in front of one of the behemoths, looking down at it. "Yep. This creature should be big enough for food." I take out my rope. I tie the ends of the rope, one onto the dead Behemoth and the other around the Chocobos body.

After my work, I hop on the chocobo, grabbing on the reins. "Okay, let's go!" The chocobo does nothing, just looks at me. "Uh...giddy yup?" Still nothing. "Yip yip? Yee-ha? ...Hyah?" From saying that, the chocobo took off, with me falling off backwards, falling on the dirt.

I look to see the chocobo is running off, I quickly get on my feet. "Hey! He-hey! Wait! Stop!" The chocobo doesn't stop, it just kept running. "Not good..."

I start chasing after the chocobo.

Later at night, the rest of the l'Cie gang gathers around the campfire at the Base Camp. Waiting around, talking.

"I don't get why anyone would call this place hell. It's really beautiful." Hope says.

"Maybe they call it Hell for a reason." Lightning says.

"It's no different then Cocoon." Fang points out.

"I wish Serah was here to see it." Snow says. Snow looks around. "Where's Patrick?"

Sazh puts a hand on his stomach. "Yeah, where is the boy? I'm getting hungry."

"He should have been back by now. I knew he wouldn't find anything." Lightning says. Everyone starts to get impatient, except for Vanille. Of course when they're about to go off to find me, I show up, riding on my chocobo.

I pull on the reins, telling the chocobo to stop. "Whoa, girl!" Everyone except for Lightning seems surprised to see the chocobo. I hopped off, looking at the group. "Hey there."

"Where have you been?" Lightning asks, irritated with her arms crossed.

"Wow!" Vanille says with excitement. She skips to the chocobo. "A chocobo!"

Vanille pets the chocobo, the chocobo kweh's in a slow purr. I smile as I pet on the chocobos back. "Yep. I saved her when she was being attacked by the Behemoth's."

"So you went chocobo saving instead of hunting some food?" Lightning asks.

"No." I pull on the rope tied to the chocobo, pulling the dead behemoth. "I got the food. I just spent the last few hours chasing Snowflake."

"Snowflake?" Hope asks.

I look up at the chocobo, putting my hand on her back. "My name for the chocobo here. Anyways, I was about to deliver this back to camp, only when I got on, she took off when I fall off. I spent the last few hours chasing after her."

Fang chuckles as she walks up to me. "Yeah, chocobos aren't easy to train." Fang pets Snowflake. "Especially a white one."

"Thanks for the tip." I say to Fang, with an irritated tone.

"Well, now that dinner's here, let's get cooking." Fang says.

We all cut up the Behemoth and cooked it's flesh. Once that's done, we all gather around the campfire and eat. "Man, this is some good chow." I say.

"Why thank you. I've learned how to cook out here in the wild." Fang says.

"You think that's good, you should try Fang's Wilderness Gumbo." Vanille says.

I looked at Vanille with confusion, even at that silly smile of hers. "Uh...sounds tempting." I say.

After Snow's done eating, he stands up with a sigh. "All right. I think it's time to hit the hey."

Fang stands up next. "All right. Well, at least one of us should be up to keep watch."

We all agreed. We've decided Fang should take first watch, then Snow, then Vanille, then me then Lightning. We'll each take a two hour watch. After dinner, everyone goes to sleep, expect for Fang who stands outside of the campsite to keep watch.

Me and Lightning are so far the only ones up. I can hardly fall asleep, I'm not sure why Lightning's up. Hours went by very slowly for us. Fang just spends her shift keeping an eye out for monsters, while also watching Vanille like a hawk. I spent my night petting my sleeping chocobo. After that, I lay on her like a pillow, hoping I'll try to get better sleep laying on warm soft feathers instead of cold hard dirt. But that doesn't help at all, even if it's more comfortable.

Fang's shift ends and she wakes up Snow. "Get up, hero boy. I need my sleep." Snow just mumbles and turns away.

I sigh and get up, walking up to Fang. "I got this." I roll Snow down the field, until he rolls over a cliff into a Cactus Gorge. After five seconds, Snow bursts out of the gorge, screaming in agony.

Me and Fang looks up, keeping our eyes on Snow as he's launched into the air. "Don't you think that was a bit too much?" Fang asks.

"Hey, he's awake isn't he?" Snow crash lands right in front of us, his body is coated with thorns and bits of cactus balls.

Snow looks at us. "What was that for?" Snow asks.

"It's time for your shift." I walk away after saying that. Fang just shrugged her shoulders and make her leave as well.

Snow just sighs. "You know, a simple 'Snow wake up' would have sufficed!" Snow gets into his position for keeping watch. I turn to my chocobo, where I find Lightning's disappointment look there to greet me.

"What?" I say.

"Was that really necessary?" Lightning asks.

I walk up to the chocobo, lay down against it. "With Snow Villers, everything's necessary."

Lightning just sighs, then rolls on her side, facing away from me, and attempts to go back to sleep. I do the same, expect I just lay on my back watching the night skies.

Snow spends his night looking at the crystal tear, as if to expect an answer from Serah. Seeing that just vexes me, he should be keeping watch for monsters. I find a nearby rock, and throw it. The rock hits that thick head of his.

"Ow!" Snow looks to see it's from me.

"You're suppose to keep watch, dummy!" I yelled at him.

"Shut up so I can sleep!" Fang shouts at me.

Fang goes back to sleep, and then me and Snow return to our previous positions. The two hours have passed for Snow's shift, so he goes to wake up Vanille.

"All right, kid. It's your turn." Snow tells her.

Vanille sits up, nods with a smile. She jumps up on her feet then goes to do her watch. Vanille spends her time keeping an eye out for monsters. Of course, I noticed the girl is tiling her head, shoulder to shoulder, with that silly smile on her face. If I'd known better, I'd say that girl is zoning out into that crazy head of hers.

Don't get me wrong, I like the girl, but she's just silly. After her shift, Vanille skips to me. "Yoo-who! It's Patrick time."

I sigh, standing up. "So much for getting some sleep tonight." I say. Vanille just laughs at my comment. "And just what is so funny?"

"Ha, ha. Oh. Nothing." Vanille says, skipping off.

I sighed and make my way to my guarding post.

I take my shift on the the campsite. It's funny, I couldn't sleep at all before my shift, I thought I would be exhausted chasing Snowflake all over the Yaschas Massif. But I'm not. I wonder why I couldn't sleep.

I look back at everyone else in the camp. Everyone's asleep, even Lightning. Lately, that girl just couldn't get much sleep at night. I wonder why as well.

Hope starts twitching and moaning in his sleep, then he suddenly wakes up with a gasp. Hope sits up, panting, then looks around at the campsite. Hope gets on his feet, he moves out of the campsite, not far, just about five feet. He sits against the cliff wall and breaks down crying.

Lightning wakes up hearing the sound of sobs. However, she couldn't make out what it is. I hear the sobbing as well. I turn to see it's Hope. I feel upset to see him like this. I was about to get up and help him, but I stopped when I noticed Lightning's awake. Lightning looks around and then she finds Hope, out of camp and all alone.

She now understands that sound is coming from him. Seeing that, I just stay back and watch, since I know she got this and the fact I'm suppose to stay and keep an eye and ear for monsters. Lightning stands up and walks to Hope, then kneels in front of him.

"Hope?" Hope was startled to see Lightning. He calms down as soon as he sees it's only her. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Hope says.

Lightning sits next to Hope. "Why are you crying? It's Nora isn't it?"

Hope nods. "I miss her..."

"I know." Lightning grabs the pendant of Hope's necklace, letting it rest on her palm. Hope looks down at it. "She maybe gone, but she'll always be with you." Lightning moves her other hand to Hopes chin, tilting his head up so he's facing her. Lightning smiles a little. "She'll always send you her love."

Hope is speechless. He doesn't say anything, of both words or expression. His eyes unleashed more of his tears. That's when Lightning wraps her arms around Hope. "Come here." Hope leans against Lightning, laying his head on her shoulder, sobbing. Lightning moves her hand to Hope's head, stroking his silver hair. "Shh...it's okay. Cry all you want. I'm here for you."

Hope wraps his arms around Lightning's waist. I just watch those two from the distance, with a sad expression on my face. I'm not real sad, but I do feel touched seeing Lightning like this. Normally, that girl is cold and heartless. I look up at Cocoon.

"Oh Serah, I wish you could see Lightning right now. It's nice for the girl to have a soft side." I say.

The sound of rustling captures my ears. I quickly return my attention back on the outside field. At first, I see nothing, but then a Gorgonopsid comes out of the shadows. It doesn't look feral, probably doesn't know about us and our camp.

To prepare, I slowly, quietly take out my bow and an arrow. I loaded my bow, pull back the arrow, ready to let it fly. The Gorgonopsid sniffs at the ground, then growls. It looks up and spots me.

That's when I let my arrow fly. Of course, what happens next shocks me. My arrow pierced something. But instead of the Gorgonopsid, it was my dad. My normal dad.

I scream in shocked terror at the sight of my arrow piercing his heart, and then my dad collapses forward, on his knees then all the way down. I dropped my bow and rush up to my dad.

I roll him onto his back. "Dad!" I look down at his lifeless face, gasping in horror. Then I look at the palm of my hands. It's completely covered in blood. Overflowing even. My heart pounds in agony at the sight of this. Then I make rush to the lake. I dip my hands in the water, violently rubbing them.

After a minute, I pull them out to find them still bloody. The only thing that surprises me more then the blood is still on my hands, it's still overflowing. Almost like I never even washed them off.

I try again. This time even harder. "Patrick?" I flinch hearing voices and turn around, to see it's only Lightning and Hope. Both of them are just standing there, looking at me with curiosity, and worried from Hope. "What...are you doing?" Lightning asks.

I just pant in fear, I couldn't answer. I look behind them, I see the corpse, but instead of my father, it's the Gorgonopsid. I look down at the water in front of me. I pull out my hands to find it wet. Not with blood, but with water.

"I...I-I was..." I look back at Lightning and Hope. "What's going on?"

"We don't know." Hope says. "We heard you scream. You were looking scared and worried over that dead Gorgonopsid, then you rushed to the lake."

I take a moment to realize, I was only having another guilt attack. I take a deep breath realizing that, then I stand up. "It-It's nothing." I walk back to camp, walking past Lightning and Hope. "I probably just need some sleep."

Lightning and Hope just watches me walk back to camp. I walk up to Snowflake, and lay down, resting my head on her feathery body. "Do you think...he was having..." Hope looks up at Lightning. "That...illusion thing? With his father?"

"Hmm...perhaps." Lightning answers. "I'm worried about him. He's sundering..." Lightning looks down at Hope. "I'm gonna take over his shift. You should rest."

Hope shook his head. "I want to keep watch too. I don't think I can sleep just yet."

"All right, then." Lightning says.

Lightning and Hope sits across from each other, keeping watch. After the first hour, Hope falls asleep. Lightning notices and just smiles a little. Lightning carries Hope, she puts him back at the campsite, then returns to her post.

I still couldn't get any sleep, especially after that guilt attack I had just two hours ago. Just then, the sun starts raising. I look at the sunlight with disapproval.

"Oh great. Just what I need." I rolled onto my side, facing away from the sunlight. Everyone else was waking up, yawning and stretching.

Vanille walks up to me. She kneels behind me, shaking my shoulder. "Hey, wake up sleepyhead."

"I'm awake." I say, rather grumpy.

Vanille just giggles. She reaches for my hands then pulls me into a sitting position. "Oh come on. Don't be such a grumpy dumpy."

Snow walks up to me. "Hey, you okay?"

I just glare at Snow. "Shut up, Villiers!"

I stand up, making my way to the nearby lake. I kneel down in front of it, splashing my face with the cold water. I didn't noticed that Lightning was walking up behind me.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asks.

I turn around to see it's Lightning, then I face forward again. "I couldn't sleep at all."

"Let me guess? Your father?" Lightning asks, crossing her arms.

I sigh, standing up. "Well, it was after my shift. I'm not sure why I couldn't sleep before my shift."

Lightning doesn't say anything, so I just left her to go back to the campsite. We all gather around the defused campfire.

"A nice beautiful day out in Pulse." Vanille says. "So...what now?"

"Why don't we look around?" I say, teasing Vanille. Everyone just looks at me. Not really with disapproval, but with a look that says I just thought of a great idea. "What?"

"That's actually not a bad idea." Snow says. "It's a new world. Why not look around?"

"Okay. We'll split into teams of two and a three." Fang says.

So we all go our separate ways. Vanille shows Hope around, me and Sazh went with Fang, Lightning and Snow decided to wonder off together. I guess a little brother and sister in-laws kind of thing. I feel bad for Lightning.

* * *

We've look around the lands of Pulse for a while. It was quite a sight seeking, although not much of a warm welcoming from the bloodthirsty monsters that wonder around the field. At the moment, Hope is sitting on the edge of the cliff, viewing Pulse. He seems to have lost his mind at the breath taking view.

Vanille walks up behind Hope, then stands behind him. "Something on your mind?"

"Huh?" Hope looks up behind him to see it's only Vanille. "Oh, I uh...I was just thinking."

"About what? Something complicated?" Vanille asks.

Hope just laughs hearing that. "I was just taking it all in. The sky here, the trees, the sunlight, the smells." Hope looks up at the floating world above. "When I was on Cocoon, I never dream of a place like this could even exist. But now, here I am...on Pulse. If I haven't gotten to those fireworks, if I hadn't been seating in that same train car during the Purge, if anything would have been different, I'd never had the chance to see this."

Just below the cliff is me, Sazh and Fang. I'm on my hands and knees, while Fang is standing on my back, holding up Sazh.

"All right, old man. Tell us, what are they saying?" Fang says.

"Uh...I think the kid said 'if nothing should had been different, he'd ever had the change to meet list.'"

"Ha!" Fang looks down at me. "I told you, now pay up."

I hold up 100 Gil with a grumpy look and Fang takes it.

Vanille shock her head, innocently walks beside Hope with her hands behind her back. "No, I'm sure you would have wound up here." Vanille sits down next to Hope. "Don't you remember what you promised me? You promise me that we'd come and see Gran Pulse together."

Me, Fang and Sazh lose our balance for a moment, then we regain it. "What did she say?" I asked.

Sazh turns his head, putting a hand near his ear to listen closely. "Something about 'We promised we'd wed...' something else and then 'Gran Pulse'."

"Wed? ...They're getting MARRIED?!" Fang says.

Me and Sazh shushed at Fang. "Keep it down." I tell her.

"Uh, really?" Hope asks. "When did I do that?"

Vanille says nothing, but puts on that silly smile of hers, then she grabs Hopes hand. "Oh I don't know." Vanille grabs hold of a Hopes pinky with hers. "How about another lifetime."

Vanille stands up and giggles. Hope just looks at her confused. "What does that even mean?" Hope asks.

"To tell you the truth, I've told so many lies, that it's all a blur." Vanille says.

"Well, you know, sometimes you have to lie about some stuff. To keep yourself going, cause you're afraid." Hope points out. "Or to protect something else...so they wouldn't get hurt."

"What did he say? I didn't catch that." Fang asks.

"Uh let's see... 'You had toe lay some stuff. To kept your shelf going, because you're a raid.'" Sazh says.

"Yes. Called It! Pay up, Fang." I say.

Fang grumbles as she takes out 250 Gil and drops it for me to catch.

"Oh would you two grow up?" Sazh asks.

"Sometimes, even the things that everyone in the whole world thinks are true turned out to be lies. At the end of the day though, it's not the lie that matters, but what you do after you tell it. Work hard enough and you can make it true." Hope stands up. "I mean, maybe we both forgot. Maybe we did promised to come and see Gran Pulse together...and Cocoon."

Hope walks to the edge of the cliff and stretches, while Vanille stands behind, taking in the boys words.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"I don't know, something about work hard enough to bake it blue." Sazh answers.

"What does that even mean?" Fang asks, looking down at me.

"Maybe they're going open a bakery?" I wondered.

"Thanks, Hope." Vanille says, barely looking down.

"Do something for me, will you?" Hope turns to look at Vanille. "Keep smiling." Vanille's both surprised and confused to hear that. "I...It makes me happy when you smile." Hope says with a smile.

Vanille's defiantly surprised to hear that. "I...I didn't know you felt that way." Vanille looks away, putting her hands on her cheeks, her jaw dropping.

"What did he just say?" Fang asks.

"Um...I think he said something about 'It bakes be hippy then you mile.'"

Me and Fang looks at Sazh confused. "What are you three doing?"

Me, Sazh and Fang were startled and then we all collapse, falling on the ground. When we're pilled on each other, we look up to see Lightning and Snow. Lightning looks down at us, disappointed with her arms crossed. "You guys spying on those two?"

I stand up after pushing Sazh and Fang off of me. "What? No...no. We were just uh..." I look up at the cliff then back at Lightning. "Checking to see if the cliff is gonna break." I look back at the cliff, giving it a few pounds. "Yep. It appears to be stable."

"Right..." Lightning says, with a doubtful tone.

Vanille's expression and reaction suddenly drops when she hears Hope laughing. "Wait a minute. You mean you were joking?"

"Now we're even." Hope says, running away.

Vanille groans in annoyance then turns looking at Hope. "Hey! Wait!" Vanille chases after Hope, giggling.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

After all that chasing, Vanille loses Hope. She figured he would be all right, and she was right. Hope finds us at the bottom of that cliff he and Vanille were at. Of course he wasn't too happy to here the three of us were spying on them.

"Where's Vanille?" Sazh asks.

"I'm not sure. I think I lost her back in the trench." Hope says.

"Should we look for her?" I asked.

"Nah, she can take care of herself." Fang says.

"Yeah, you're right. We should at least find something to eat." I say.

"If you insist." Fang grabs my wrist, dragging me. "Come on."

"He-hey!" While me and Fang are looking for food, Snow and Sazh takes a look around, while Lightning and Hope returns to camp with Snowflake.

Vanille is skipping on the fields of Gran Pulse. "Ta-la-la-la-la-la." That girl is all sunshines and rainbows with her happiness. Of course everything changes when she steps in a dirt circle. The strange part is that when she stepped in, her feet were sunken. "Huh?" Vanille looks down at her feet, but then she starts to panic when she notices she's going down. She's in quicksand.

"Oh no!" Vanille tries to break free, she couldn't move, then she tried to pull one of her legs out, with all of her strength. But it didn't work either, she just kept sinking.

Meanwhile, me and Fang are patrolling around the Yaschas Massif, searching for some food, maybe something to burn for a campfire.

Fang stops. "So..." I stop as well, turning around to face Fang. "A Mercenary, huh?"

"Yeah. What's it to you?" I ask.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised." Fang says. "But I guess that explains why you were hanging out with Snow back in Lake Bresha."

"No. I was forced to stay with that doofus!" I say to Fang.

"I see." Fang says. "By the way, why is it you can't stand him?"

"Many, many reasons." I say. "Starting with those Big Sister's Complex magazines!"

"Big Sister's Complex? What are those?" Fang asks.

I look back at Fang. "Trust me, Fang. You do not want to know." After that, I move on ahead. I look ahead to see a large Wyvern. "I think I found us some lunch."

Fang looks at the Wyvern. "Quite a sight to see." Fang takes out her lance and I take out my bow. Fang charges while I shoot at the monster from the distance. The monster wasn't too happy with my attacks, even dives at Fang while biting her powerfully.

Fang had to quickly shift into Sentinel, and use Mediguard at the neck of time. I shift into Saboteur, shooting at the beast with Black Shot. Only Poison and Slow affected the creature. Fang shifts back into Commando, doing her special ability: Highwind. Fang leaps high in the air, and jabs her lance right through the creature, killing it.

I walk up to the dead body as Fang removes her lance from it. "Wow, quite powerful." I say.

"Why thank you. Guess lady lucky's smiling at us today." Fang says. "Let's get back to base camp." Me and Fang make our way back to base camp, while dragging the dead Wyvern.

Meanwhile, Vanille is still struggling to break free from the quicksand, which is a bad idea, cause the girl is now thigh deep. She now tries to pull herself up and out, laying her hands on the sand, pulling.

"Help!" Vanille shouts.

Snow and Sazh are right now taking a look around Pulse. "It's such a beautiful world." Snow says.

"It's quite a sight to see, I'll say." Sazh says.

"I just wish Serah was here to see it." Snow says.

"Yeah, Dajh too." Sazh says. "Hey, Snow. You think it's time to head back to camp?"

Snow nods. "Yeah. Let's go."

Sazh and Snow makes their way back to camp. "Hey, I'm wondering. Why does Patrick hate you so much?"

"Oh, many reasons apparently. Some are my fault, others...well, I have nothing to say with them." Snow says.

"I see. It's funny, Serah's sister and her best friend dislikes you, and you're marrying the girl." Sazh says with a laugh at the end. "Kind of makes me wonder how those two reacted when they heard about the engagement."

"Oh, Lightning wasn't too happy. Patrick, I'm not sure." Snow says.

Vanille is now waist deep, sinking deeper and deeper. When she tries to pull again, Her arms seep into the quicksand. Vanille starts to panic seeing her hands sink into the sand, she tries to pull them out, but now they're stuck. Vanille sinks deeper into the quicksand, up to her chest.

Her heart is pounding like crazy as she panics. "Someone! Help me! Please! I'm sinking!" Vanille starts crying a little. "Ple-he-he-hease!"

Lightning and Hope are now waiting at the Camp Base in the Vallis Media. Hope is standing in front of Snowflake, petting her. Hope and Snowflake really seems to enjoy each other. Lightning's just sitting back, watching the boy.

"I don't get why Patrick wants to keep the chocobo." Lightning asks.

"I think it's nice." Hope looks back at Lightning. "Now don't be like that. You really enjoyed the Chocobos back in Nautlius."

"Don't push it." Lightning says. "Besides, I'm not too fond of keeping pets."

"Ha. I'm not surprised." Hope says. "It's not like you're keeping her, Patrick is."

"Whatever." Lightning says.

Me and Fang returns to the Base Camp, showing the dead Wyvern. "Well, we caught a nice one." Fang says.

I walk up to Snowflake, giving her a pet. She craws at me. "You are a good girl." I say, rubbing her head.

Snow and Sazh shows up as well. "Well, look's like we're all here." Sazh says.

Snow looks around the Base Camp. "Hey. Where's Vanille?"

We all looked around as well. There's still no sign of her. "Shouldn't she be back by now?" Hope asks.

"What if she's in trouble? Like some Behemoth has her cornered." Fang says.

I turn to Fang. "Oh sure, now you're worried." Fang looks at me with disapproval. "What happened to 'She can take care of herself' now, huh?"

Sazh and Hope both laugh at my little joke comment. "Everyone calm down. I'm sure Vanille's fine." Snow says.

"Like you could tell if she is." I say. I hop on Snowflake, grabbing onto the reins. "I'll look around for the girl. HYAH!"

Snowflake and I take our leave, while everyone else waits at the base camp. I search all over the Vallis Media for Vanille. There's no sign of her. I decided to go look in the Yaschas Massif. I arrive at the Deepgap, where a cry for help captures my ears.

I couldn't make out the voice, but I'm pretty sure it's Vanille. "HYAH!" Snowflake follows the sound.

Meanwhile, Vanille is sinked all the way to her chin. She starts hyperventilating as she slowly sinks deeper and deeper. That's when Snowflake and I show up. I was in shock to see Vanille deep in the Quicksand.

"Whoa! Vanille!" I hop off of Snowflake, and rush up in front of the Quicksand.

"Patrick!" Vanille shouts in a panicked tone. "Help me! Please! I'm sinking!"

Vanille sinks a bit deeper. Panicking, Vanille tilts her head up until she's facing the sky, trying to keep her face from going under.

"Okay, calm down. Whatever you do, don't struggle. It's only gonna make it worse." I say.

"O-Okay." Vanille says.

I reach into my pack and take out the rope, then I throw it into the quicksand, close to Vanille's face. "Okay. Grab on."

"I can't! I can't break my hands free." Vanille says.

"Yes you can, just do it slowly." I say.

Vanille does a little bit of struggling inside the quicksand, but carefully just to not sink any deeper. Finally, her hands break free from the quicksand and grabs onto the rope.

"I got it!" She tells me.

"Okay. Hold on tight." I say. I start pulling on the rope, as hard as I can. Man, Vanille's stuck in there pretty good. Vanille wasn't budging, so I try to get some help. I tie the end of the rope to Snowflake.

"Please hurry! I'm still sinking!" Vanille says, right before her mouth submerges. Now the girl is hyperventilating through her nose.

"Come on, Snowflake. HYAH!" Snowflake moves with all of her might, pulling onto the rope. I help pulling as well, and then Vanille starts moving out of the quicksand, only bit by bit. Finally, Vanille makes it to the edge, she manage to pull herself out up to her shoulders. That's when I decided to move up and pull her out.

"Grab on." I say, grabbing Vanille's hands. Her hands were pretty muddy. "Brace yourself!"

I start pulling Vanille out of the quicksand with my force. Slowly, Vanille comes out of it. Vanille finally comes out of the quicksand. She crawls away from it, then lays flat on the ground, exhausted and panting, and completely caked in mud.

I put my hands on my knees, panting as well. "Oh boy...that was too close." I look down at Vanille. "Are you all right?"

Vanille pants for a moment then answers. "Yeah...Thank you." After catching my breath, I stand up. "I'd hug you...if I wasn't...so exhausted."

I just give a chuckle. "Yeah. I really gotta stop saving your skin, kid." I say. "Come on, let's go hose you down."

I carry Vanille, which I feel disguised since she's all muddy, and I take her to a nearby lake. I strip the girl from her muddy clothes and I drop her in the lake.

I feel completely out of my comfort zone doing this. I'm not really fond with nudity girls, even if it involves helping out a friend. People should already know that since I despise these 'Big Sister's Complex' magazines. I rub the mud off of Vanille's body, until she's completely clean. Of course the girl is still exhausted.

I take Vanille and lay her against the cliff of the trench passage. I lay her out in the sun so the heat from the sun will dry the girl off. I let her dry while I wash her clothes. I'm not gonna hear the end of this if Fang or Snow ever finds out what I just did...Maybe Sazh too, I'm not too sure about him.

After washing the clothes, I lay them on a flat rock, and then I start banging on them with another rock, a big one, just to squeeze the water out of them.

Once that was done, they're still a little damp, but that's as dry as I can get them. Vanille is rested enough, so I toss her clothes over my shoulders, hopefully they landed by her.

"They're as dry as I can make them. Deal with it." I say.

I just kept looking away from Vanille as she dresses. With both reasons: I feel uncomfortable looking at a nude girl and I'm sure Vanille would die of embarrassment if I'm watching the girl dressing up. Then again, knowing Vanille, I'm wondering is the second reason would even happen.

While she's dressing, I walk up to Snowflake. I take her to the lake so she could drink. I'm surprised it's still clean after using it to wash off all of that mud off of Vanille and her clothes.

After about five minutes, I was greatly startled when I instantly feel something on my back and a pair of arms wrapped around me at the same time. "WHAT THE-"

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you for saving me!" Vanille says with a cheerful tone.

_And she's back. _I thought. I guess Vanille's well rested. I probably should have seen this coming, even since she admitted that she would have hugged me if she wasn't so exhausted. "Okay, you're grateful." I shove Vanille off of me, only I couldn't make her budge, I feel like I need a crowbar to remove her. "Okay, you can let go now!" Vanille doesn't let go, instead, she squeals and tightens her hug on me.

I sigh in annoyance and then roughly make my way back to camp, with Snowflake following. In about twenty minutes, we made it back to camp. Fang was the only one there. When she gets a sight of us, Fang just smirks and chuckles.

"Well, well. Looks like you two are hitting it off." Fang says.

I just give a grumpy look hearing that. "Get her off of me!" I say angrily at Fang.

"All right, all right." Fang says, making her way to me and Vanille.

Fang stands behind Vanille. She puts her hands on Vanille's pits and starts tickling her. Vanille starts laughing from being tickled. Her grip on me starts to loosen until she finally lets go, and I was able to move away from her.

I look at Fang, wiping down my vest. "Thank you."

"What was all that about?" Fang asks.

"Patrick saved me!" Vanille says with a cheer. "I was stuck in Quicksand. I was neck deep until he arrived." Fang is surprised to hear that, but is more surprised to hear the next. I wasn't pleased to be reminded of it. "And then he bathe me."

Fang looks at me with a disapproval look and tone. "You stripped Vanille and bathed her?"

"Hey, it ain't no picnic on my end of the basket either, sister." I say.

Fang calms down a little and sighs. "Sorry...thanks for saving Vanille anyways."

"You're welcome." I say with a flat tone, then I walk up to Vanille and look at her in the face. "As for you: That little bathing scenario. That...never happened. Capiche?" Vanille nods with a smile. I turn my look towards Fang. "That goes for you too, Fang."

Fang chuckles as she walks up to me. "All right, I'll keep quiet." Fang pinches my cheeks. "You cheeky boy."

I just shove her hand off of my face. Fang backs up and I take a look around. "Hey, where's everyone else?"

"Hope went to go and get some food with the little chocobo. Everyone else went scouting." Fang explains.

* * *

We waited for everyone else to return. Vanille got pretty tired, I wouldn't blame her after sinking into a muddy pit, and she fell asleep. I'm still on the edge of what I've done for the girl. I'm even wondering that Fang and Vanille would actually keep quiet of that little scenario. I doubt they would keep it a secret. Fang's pretty cocky and Vanille...well, she's somewhat of an airhead. Or else she wouldn't have told Fang about it.

After an hour of waiting, Vanille wakes up. "You were having a dream." Fang tells her.

Vanille was silent for a while, then answers staring off at the view. "A pretty strange dream."

"If it's anything tied to what I've done to you before, I don't want to hear it." I say.

A minute later, the l'Cie gang has returned. Vanille and Fang turns to see them. "You're back." Vanille says with a wave.

Fang looks back at me with a smirk. "Told yea they'd be back first. Now pay up."

I take out a pouch filled with 250 Gil and tossed it to Fang. "You two and your silly bets." Lightning says with her arms crossed.

Fang looks back at the group. "Hey, guys. Have any luck?"

"No sign of anyone else. But we did find plenty of bloodthirsty wildlife and crumbling ruins." Lightning says.

"I'm not surprised. Who would want to life in this world after it's known to be Hell?" I say, earning a look from Vanille and Fang.

"Well guys, we've run out of places to search around here." Snow says. Snow looks around, noticing Hope's gone. "Where's Hope?"

"He's off with the chocobo, getting supplies." Fang answers.

Just then, the chocobo appears. We're surprised to see him, but as for me, I was worried to see it's just the chick and there's no sign of Hope. The chocobo seems to be panicking, as it flies onto Sazh's hands.

"You all by yourself?" Sazh asks.

The chocobo seems to have jumped off of Sazhs hands, then onto Vanille's head. It's chirping like crazy, then the Chocobo jumps onto Vanille's hands. "His brand!" Vanille says with a worried tone.

That certainly have us all startled. "We've got to find him!" Snow says.

"And fast." I add, running up the path the chocobo came from.

The trench tunnel was crawling with mimi blobs and slug plant creatures. I wonder how Hope manage to go this far all on his alone, the chocobo chick as well. The kid must be stronger then I thought.

We fight our way through the creatures. I shifted into Synergist and casted haste on everyone so we could speed up the time to make it to Hope. However, our travel plans took longer then we'd expected. Me, Lightning and Snow are surprised at how far away Hope was from camp. Further ahead, we had to face some medium sized blobs. Those blobs are some pretty tough fighters, and hard hitter too. After defeating those slime balls, we continue on ahead.

Finally, we've found Hope knocked out by a small river stream by a waterfall. "Hope!" Snow and Lightning rushed to Hope's sides. Me and everyone else stands beside, looking down at the unconscious boy. "No..." Snow slams his fist on the ground. "NO! How can I let this happen?"

I'm surprised at Snow's worries. "Oh, so now you're worried about the boy." I say.

Lightning checks Hope's pulse. "He's still alive." We all sigh in relief.

"Let's get the kid somewhere safe." I suggest.

We all agreed. We place Hope on Snowflake. I mount on the chocobo, with Hope in front of me. Lightning and Snow stands beside the chocobo as we move on.

We take Hope back to the base camp. Once we're back, we place the kid on the soft rubble. We all stand by and watch. Hours have passed, darkness takes over the skies. Hope hasn't woken up. All of us are hanging around, with barely any hope left.

Vanille is on her hands and knees, watching over the unconscious boy. Vanille finally stands and walks away from the boy. "So this is how it ends?" Snow shouts.

"You are so stupid, Snow." I say.

"Just wait." Me and Snow looks at Sazh. "Now how long has it been since we left Cocoon? Hm? Not a single soul for miles around. Not a single clue about this whole l'Cie mess!" Snow stands up to Sazh, was about to speak but Sazh continues. "What I'm saying is, we did well just getting this far."

"Sazh has a point. We've came this far. Why give up?" I say.

No one says anything. There's nothing but silence from all of us, expect Vanille. "But...we could go a little further."

"Meaning?" Snow asks.

"There's still one place." Vanille says.

"Vanille?" Fang stands up. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Vanille says, with a nod.

"What are you two talking about?" I asked.

"You know, if we don't find anything this time, we won't get another chance." Lightning says.

We say nothing else. We're not even sure if words can help us at this time. Until a voice speaks. The voice of Hope. "Oerba. That place it all began."

We're all surprised to hear Hope. He's finally awake. Vanille rushes to Hopes side as he continues to speak. "The place where the Pulse fal'Cie lay dreaming." Hope raises a hand, reaching for the sky. "Vanille and Fang's home...Just maybe..." Hope twists his wrist, looking at his brand. "It will be the place where we find the answers we're looking for."

"Yeah, right. If we can get there." Fang says with doubt.

"Well, you never know until you try." I tell Fang.

Hope gives a fake smile and turns to see the group. "Go ahead without me."

Hope starts to sit up. Vanille helps him sit up. "We can't just leave you!" Vanille says.

"I'll be fine." Hope stands up. "You've all taught me so much, showed me how to fight."

I can feel something's off. I'm not even sure if the kid's telling the truth. He's hiding something. Hope attempts to walk, but he stumbles forward and almost feel. Snow was about to catch him.

"What did I tell you? Leave the fighting to me." Snow tells him.

Hope seems upset to hear that, makes a frown on his face. "I'm scared."

Lightning stands in front of Hope, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We understand. You're not gonna go through this ordeal alone, you know?" Hope just faces down. Lightning tilts his chin so he's facing at her, and she smiles at him.

But that doesn't cheer him up. "But that's what scares me. I don't...I don't want to see you get hurt because of me."

I think I can tell what's going on. "It's because...of what happened to Nora...isn't it?" I asked.

Lightning and Snow looked at me with disapproval hearing that, then looks back at Hope hearing him sob a little. "It would be better for everyone if I just stayed behind."

Suddenly, Hope's brand glows, and a large blinding white light appears all around him. We all backed away from Hope. A summoning circle appears under Hope, in the center where hope's at, a tower of light rises up, then the four corners of the tower shoots beams of light into the sky.

Hope looks up to see a large light sphere. The sphere explodes, leaving behind an large metal man in it's awake. Alexander.

Alexander falls and lands right in front of us all. The impact causes all of us expect for Hope to get blown away. Hope gazes upon his massive eidolon. Fang and Lightning joins in on the fight.

"Mention ordeals, and look what comes along!" Fang says.

Fang and Lightning takes out their weapons, ready to attack. "This is not an ordeal. This is a gift!" Lightning says. "Hope! This is the kind of power you've got inside. It's telling you not to give up. Trust me."

"Oh I get it. It's here to show you the way." Fang says. "Show you that you've got what it takes to get back on your feet and do this thing!"

"You mean, that came from me?" Hope asks.

Hope looks up at Alexander. The two of them just looks upon each other, then Hope looks down at his brand. Hope stands front and then takes out his boomerang, ready to fight.

Alexander casts Doom on Hope. The kid only has 180 seconds to live. Hope shifts into Syngerist and strengths himself, Fang and Lightning with his spells. Fang shifts into Sentinel, defeats herself from Alexanders attacks. Alexander does Blast Punch, launches his fist at Fang, then does Explosive Fist, launches his first at Fang, then explodes.

Lightning strikes at Alexander. Once Hope was done with his buff spells, he shifts into Medic and heals Fang. Fang shifts into Commando and strikes at the eidolon. Alexander slams his fist on Lightning, smashing her. Hope heals Lightning then shifts into Ravager and casts Watera and Thunderga at the eidolon.

Lightning shifts into Ravager and does some Sparkstrikes. Alexander walks towards Hope, and slams his fist on the boy. Hope only has 90 seconds to live. Fang shifts into Saboteur, casting Slow, Deprotect and Deshell on Alexander. Hope casts Fira and Blizzaga on Alexander. Alexander does Blast Punch on Lightning.

Lightning shifts into Medic and casts Cura on herself. Fang shifts back into Commando and strikes Alexander. Alexander just stands in place for a moment, taking the beatings and attacks. Alexander does Explosive Fist on Hope, the explosion also hits Fang and Lightning.

Hope only has 45 seconds to live. Hope shifts into Medic, healing himself and Lightning with Curaga. Lightning shifts into Commando and strikes Alexander. Hope shifted back into Ravager, casing his offensive spells on the eidolon.

With 30 seconds left, the Doom spell cancels. Alexander enters Gestalt Mode, transforming into a wall of towers. Alexander fades into crystal shards and Hopes brand absorbs the eidolon. Hope looks down at his brand, he couldn't believe at what just happened.

"That's some beast you tamed, I'll tell you that." Sazh says.

"Yeah. I always thought Eidolons appeared to set us free through death. But now...I think maybe they're here to snap us out of our slumps." Hope says.

"Oh. Like the one you were just in?" Snow says, patting Hope on the back.

"I'll ask for help earlier next time around." Hope says.

Vanille walks up to Hope and hugs him. "I told you. On Gran Pulse, we're all family." Vanille ends the hug, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "You can moan all you like, but you're stuck with us."

"I don't mind you all." I say, then looked at Snow with a disapproval look. "It's him I mind."

"Hey!" Snow says, everyone else just laughs.

"You're never alone in hell." Sazh points out.

Fang wasn't too happy to hear that. She glares at Sazh, walking up to him. "Listen, funny man, don't call this place hell, all right?"

"So, it's decided then?" Lightning says. We all nod in agreement.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

A deep rumble of thunder roars in the skies. We all look up to see the skies are darkening then usual, and the stars have vanished. That's when it started to poor. We all groan, or in Vanille's case, squeal in disappointment.

"It's raining." Vanille says, hovering her arms over her head, trying to keep herself dry.

"Really? I haven't noticed." I say sarcastically.

"What'd we do now?" Sazh asks.

We all think for a moment, it's clearly too far to return to our old camp base, and it would probably be too dangerous to go out in the pouring rain to look for a cave or something for the night.

"We're going have to try and cover up with some of this rubble around here and go to sleep." Fang suggests.

"What? No way. We should at least find some shelter." Snow says.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you go out there by yourself and look for one, Villiers?" I asked.

Snow looks ahead down the passage then back at me. "Rubble it is."

It's decided, we made the best of trying to find some cover around us from the rain. I start working on making my own kind of shelter for me and Snowflake, using the gray pieces Hope was laying on.

Lightning finds a cliffhanger and sits underneath it, cutting her out of the rain. Sazh crawled underneath some wreckage that supported as some cave. He had to squeeze his body in to avoid the rain. I do some work on my coverage. I lifted two of the large pieces and tied both corners of one side to the hanging vines of the cliff, while carefully laying the other sides on the small cliffhangers on the wall.

When I'm done, it made enough space. Snow was about to dive in, but I grabbed him. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" I shove him back, causing him to fall on the wet ground. "Get your own hiding spot, Villiers!" I tell him.

"Come on, man. You've got plenty of space." Snow says.

"Yeah. But not for you!" I look up, whistled at Snowflake. The chocobo kweh's in excitement as she rushes to the hiding spot I've made. Once she's underneath, she shakes off the loose water on her feathers, and then lays down.

I was about to go in until... "Can I please go in with you?" I turn around to see it's Vanille, with her hands locked together in front of her, pleading. "Pleeeeeeeeease?"

I just roll my eyes. "Fine, get in."

Vanille jumps and squeals. Vanille gets underneath. "Seriously? Vanille?" Snow asks. Vanille lays down on the ground, using Snowflake as a pillow and falling asleep.

"Oh shut it, Villiers." I snapped at Snow.

Fang walks up to me, with an arm hovering over her head, as if to shield her eyes from the rain. "All right. We'll each take shifts. Whoever is taking over the next shift gives their space to that person."

Me and Snow nods. Fang was about to leave to stand in the rain to keep watch. "Hey, Fang." Fang turns back to look at me. I remove my hat and throw it to her in a frisbee way. Fang catches it. "Keep the rain out of your eyes. Helps out well."

Fang smiles. "Thanks. I'll give it to the next person." She says, putting the hat on.

"Just don't give it to him." I say, pointing and glaring at Snow at the second half of my sentence. I get underneath in my space, laying next to Vanille, only I hardly fall asleep.

Now Snow and Hope are the only ones out in the rain. Hope is having trouble trying to find a way to cover himself from the rain. Snow finds a giant barrel can. He tips it over and gets inside of it. Snow had to squeeze him, hugging his knees close to his chest just to stay out of the rain.

Hope walks up to me. "Hey, Patrick." I look up at the boy, who's soaking wet and shivering a little. "Can I get in?"

"Sorry, kid. No more room." I say. That was only half true, there is some room, of course it's only so little, only about half of Hope's body would be in.

"Okay." Hope says. I watch as Hope walks away, of course now Vanille got my attention when I can feel her wrapping her arms around me and scooching closer. I look to see the kid is still asleep.

I sigh, rolling my eyes, then flick the girl on the forehead, waking up her. "Ow." Vanille releases her grip on me and looks up at me. "What?"

"Don't push it, kid." I tell her.

Vanille can see that she's pretty close to me, and she did see herself holding on to me. "Sorry." Vanille shooches back by a few inches and returns to sleep.

Hope wonders around the area, trying to find a place to hide from the rain. Lightning watches Hope, she can't help but feel bad for the poor boy. He's soaking wet and he's shivering, getting even worse every second he spends in the rain. Hope's starting to look like a lost little puppy desperately searching for a home.

"Hope?" Hope looks at Lightning. "Come here, I've got some space." Lightning pats on her lap saying that.

Hope can tell what she means, he looks around Lightning's space. There's really not enough space to sit next to her and stay out of the rain. After a moment of hesitation, Hope rushes in and sits on her lap. Lightning and Hope shifts a little, both of them trying to get comfortable.

Hope is still shivering, his teeth are chattering even. Lightning can tell he's freezing, so there's only one thing she could do. Lightning unbuttons her vest, removes it and wraps it around Hope.

Hope is surprised feeling something wrapped around him, he looks at Lightning to see her, expect to his surprise, she's just wearing her sweater vest, smiling at the boy. Hope shook his head, removing her vest from him.

"No, no. I can't. I don't want you to get cold." Hope says.

Lightning stops Hope from returning the vest. "No, it's okay. I'm fine." Lightning wraps it back on Hope. "I hardly notice the cold. Besides, you need it more then I do."

Hope smiles a little at Lightning. "Thanks."

Lightning nods a little. Hope leans on Lightning, laying his head on her shoulder, while Lightning wraps her arms around the boy, holding him close to her.

"You still cold?" Lightning asks. Hope nods. "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm. Just get some sleep."

Just like that, Hope does fall asleep, Lightning tries her best to get some sleep as well.


	16. Gran Pulse part II

A/N: This is part two of chapter 11. After having to face Alexander, we rest for the night, still on our journey to find some hope under all of this despair. Gran Pulse is a crazy wildlife. I wonder how Fang and Vanille survived in it hundreds of years ago.

Chapter 11: Gran Pulse

The night goes by very slowly for me. I couldn't get any sleep, still suffering from my guilt, and also worry from the guilt attack I had the other night. After two hours of watching, Snow takes over Fang's shift, and she gives me back the hat instead of giving it to Snow.

Snow was upset, but I was pleased. Snow keeps watch, trying to suck it up in the rain. Lightning's still awake as well. After all she's done, Hope is still cold. She knows there's nothing else she can do but hope he'll survive the night.

After Snow's shift, he was about to get Lightning, but soon sees that she's occupied, so he goes for Sazh. Normally, I would give Sazh the hat, but I can tell that it won't fit his head cause of that crazy afro. After Sazh, it was Vanille's turn. I give her the hat to keep her head dry and protect her eyes from the drops.

I'll admit, Vanille looks cute in that hat, but I'm not gonna get to comfortable with it. After her shift, she returns to me. It's still raining, but it's starting to lighten up. "Hey look, I'm Patrick." Vanille mimics my position as shooting a bow and arrow. "Don't worry, Vanille. I'll keep you safe from harm." She says in her generic boy voice.

"Ah-ha. Ah-ha." I say with an annoyed tone, then I snatch the hat right out of her head. "Give me that."

While Vanille takes my spot and lays in the dry with Sazh and Snowflake, I go and take watch. I feel uncomfortable about this. I didn't get any sleep all night, like usual, and I'm taking the final shift.

At least Lightning is getting some sleep. At the end of my shift, the sun is raising and the rain stopped. I was standing and stretching. Fang was the first to wake up.

"Morning, Patrick." Fang says. "Slept well?"

"If my 'well', you mean 'not at all', then yes, I did." I say.

Fang smirks. "I knew it, pay up." I take out a hundred Gil and slapped it on Fang's hand.

"You two and your silly bets." Me and Fang turns to see it's Snow.

"Oh shut up, Villiers." I say with slight anger in my tone.

Sazh and Vanille joins in, with Snowflake behind them. "Everyone all set?" Sazh asks.

"Not everyone." I say, standing front of Lightning and Hope.

Everyone walks up behind me, looking down at the sleeping 'siblings'. They're both asleep, with Hope laying on Lightning's lap, a hand on her shoulder and his head on the other, with her jacket vest still laying on the boys shoulders and back. Lightning has her arms wrapped around Hope protectively, with a cheek resting on the top of Hope's head.

Lightning looks very peaceful, I'll admit, she looks beautiful. Everyone else seems to agree. Snow and Sazh gives cheesy smiles, Fang smirks and Vanille covered her mouth with her hands and grinned a big and goofy grin.

"How cute." Vanille chirps.

"Well, what do yea know? Soldier girl here isn't completely heartless." Sazh says, earning a giggle from Vanille.

"If only Serah were here to see this. She would be happy." Snow says.

"The kid's very lucky to have a lady watching for him." Fang says.

I kneel beside Lightning, gently shaking her shoulder. "Hey...hey, Light. Wake up."

Lightning moans softly in her sleep, then her eyes slowly fluttered open. Lightning was greeted by me first, then notices everyone else in front of her. Lightning looks at the expression on their faces and gives them an annoyed expression.

"What?" She asks.

"You two are just so cute together." Vanille squeals.

"Come on, Light. Admit it. You're just a big softy." Snow teases. Lightning growls at Snow.

She was about to remove Hope, but I raise my hands in front of me, telling her to stop. "I got it." I turn to Snow and punched him in the face, knocking him back.

Lightning smiles a little, pleased to see Snow getting punched for teasing her. "Thank you, Patrick." Lightning says.

"You're welcome. Anyways, we should get moving while there's still daylight." I say.

Lightning nods. Everyone else makes their leave while Lightning attempts to wake up Hope. "Hey, hey Hope...wake up."

Hope moans in his sleep, but he doesn't wake up. After a minute, he slightly opens his eyes. "Light..." Hope mutters in his sleep.

"It's time to go." Lightning tells him.

"Okay." Hope gets up. He drops the vest behind him, which lands on Lightning's lap. Hope moans tiresome and puts a hand on his head, he's starting to get a bit of a headache, then he falls on his knees.

After putting her vest on, Lightning gets up and notices Hope. "Hey." Lighting kneels in front of Hope. "Are you okay?"

Hope looks at Lightning, his eyes half open. "Ye-yeah. I'm probably just tired."

"Are you sure?" Lightning asks, barely believing in Hope.

"You two coming or not?" Fang shouts. Lightning sees that we've moved on ahead all ready, Fang just stopped for the moment to call for Lightning and Hope.

Lightning looks back at Hope. "Okay, just don't lie to me." Lightning says, getting on her feet.

* * *

We walk down the trench, heading to the Archylte Steppe. Fang takes the lead while the rest of us follows. Hope is falling a bit behind. He says that he's still tired, but I don't buy that, even though he would be after facing Alexander.

We made it out of the trench and arrived at the Archylte Steppe. It's a large wide open field that's crawling with wild, feral creatures. And apparently, some large turtle slug like creatures known as Adamantortoise's. Some of us were completely surprised by the size of those monsters. Might take an army of hundreds of l'Cie to bring them down.

"Don't worry about those big guys. You leave them alone, they'll leave yea be." Fang says.

"Take your word for it." I say.

"Let's go." Hope says, a little tiresome, walking ahead.

We all looked at him, with concern at first, then we just followed him afterwards. When we move ahead, a strange stone raises from the ground once we got near it.

"This stone...it's." Vanille seems a bit surprised but also confused.

"Look familiar?" Lightning asks.

"It's a kind of Cie'th. It's in the last stage." Fang says.

I'm surprised to hear that. "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, it's no threat to anyone anymore." Vanille explains. A Cie'th? That's not a threat? To anyone? How would that be possible? "l'Cie that failed their Focus become Cie'th and wander the wilds. Eventually, they lose the will to go on and turn to stone."

"This is..." I'm speechless.

"But still, even in this state, they can't forget the task they once had." Vanille says.

Fang explains more. "And they call out to l'Cie, over and over: 'Complete my Focus'."

"So they're doomed to eternal regret, Huh? That's pretty horrible." Sazh says.

"Hey. We should help this one out. Come on, we can't just ignore it." Snow says. We don't say anything. "Listen, if we fail our Focus, it could be us suffering like that."

For once, Villiers has a point. "Wow. What a happy thought. It's not like you." Sazh says.

"But going out of his way to help someone? That's Snow all over." Lightning says.

"Well, I'll help out, but only if you guys are in." I say.

We all agreed to help out with some the Cie'th stones, but not too much. We're nearly at the point to becoming Cie'th and we can't waste anymore time.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

We walk through the fields of the Archylte Steppe. Everyone but Hope was up ahead, he's falling behind, like he's beaten down and exhausted. I don't blame him after having to face Alexander last night.

Hope stays in place, he gets on his hands and knees, groaning in agony and coughing. None of us paid attention to Hope, not even Vanille or Snow or Lightning. Just then, we become assaulted by two Behemoth's and three Beasts.

We all take out our weapons and attack the monsters. I shift into Saboteur and cast my debuff spells on the monsters. Fang and Snow shifts into Sentinel and block their attacks, while Vanille shifts into Medic and heal us. Sazh shifts into Synergist and blesses us with enchants while Lightning attacks in her Commando role.

When everything was set for the rest of us, Me, Sazh and Fang shifts into Commando and we all attack the monsters. Back from the distance, Hope collapses down on the ground, shaking and gasping, without even noticing a giant Adamantortoise slowly makes it's way directly to Hope.

We still fight the monsters. We take down the one Behemoth and two of the beasts. Snow shifts into Ravager and does some Froststrikes on the Behemoth. The Behemoth finally falls and we finish off the last beast. We cheer in victory.

"We did it!" Vanille says, jumping. Vanille turns around. "Hope! We did-" Vanille was cut off when she sees Hope isn't with her, he's very far away, on the ground in pain with the Adamantortoise coming his way. Hope is about to be trampled. "HOPE!"

The sound of Vanille's terrorized tone startles us, we all turn to see Hope in danger. "Hope!" Lightning shouts in worry, as she rushes to him. I can tell from our distance to Hope with the Adamantortoise, she's not gonna make it.

I quickly hop on Snowflake and whip the reins. "HYAH!" Snowflake starts running towards Hope, as fast as she could. We even run past Lightning in a split second.

Everyone else runs from behind. Snowflake and I move closer and closer to Hope. Hope looks up, seeing the large Adamantortoise just above him, with it's foot ready to step over him.

We're almost there. I start to stand on the chocobo, ready to jump. The foot is about to drop, when it does, I leap forward. Hope cowers, looking away as he's sure his life will end in just about three seconds. But instead, I dove in, grab on to Hope as I roll out of the way just the very second the foot hits the ground, leaving us the millisecond to escape to spare.

Me and Hope rolls on the ground until we're about out of harms way from the colossal giant. After that, I sit up, looking back at the Adamantortoise. "Phew. That was too close." I look back at Hope, who's looking at me very weakly. "Hey."

"You saved me." Hope whispers.

I smiled at the young boy. "I made a promise to keep you safe, didn't I?"

Lightning and the others stops as soon as they're about ten feet away from the Adamantortoise, afraid that I was too late and Hope was squished, or worse, both of us were squished.

When the Adamantortoise passed, the gang sees me walking towards them, with the Hope passed out in my arms. Lightning sighs in relief and they all rush up to me.

"He's all right. I saved him." I say, kneeling down to lay the boy on the ground. "Just in time."

Snow and Lightning kneels down next to Hope, in front of me. "Hope!" Snow says, shaking onto Hopes shoulder. "Hope! Wake up!"

Hope doesn't answer, he's still out like a light. Lightning looks around, realizing this isn't a best place. "We need to get some somewhere safe."

I carry Hope onto Snowflake, laying him on her. Hope sits on her back while laying on his stomach on the chocobos neck. We all take Hope to a nearby lake, me and Lightning stays beside him. For me, it's to hold on to the reins on Snowflake.

We make it to the lake. Fang and I keeps an eye out for monsters, while Sazh watches Snowflake when she's drinking out of the lake. Leaving Lightning, Snow and Vanille with the unconscious boy.

It takes a couple of minutes, but Hope starts to regain conscious. "He's awake." Vanille says.

Hope looks to see Lightning, Snow and Vanille surrounding him, looking down at him. "Hope. Are you okay?" Snow asks.

Hope moans at first, then answers. "I'm...fine."

Lightning can tell he's not fine. "Don't lie to us. You're clearly not okay."

Lightning gives Hope a glare. Normally, he wouldn't mind it, but in this condition, it scares him. He decided he can't hide it anymore. "I-I feel weak...and tired. My...my chest hurts, real bad. And I." Hope gasps deeply. "I can't breath."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lightning asks. "You should have told us in the first place before it got worse."

"I'm...sorry." Hope says, drifting back into unconsciousness.

Fang and I walks back to the group. "How's the kid?" Fang asks.

Lightning, Snow and Vanille looks up at Fang. "He's not doing so good. He's very ill." Vanille says.

"How did this happen?" Snow asks.

Fang thinks for a moment. "He could have just caught it from the air."

I look at Fang. "How would the air be doing this?"

"Well, he's a Cocoon citizen. Everything in Pulse is different then it is in Cocoon. The sun, the wildlife, the grass, the water...even the air." Fang says.

Vanille nods. "It's true."

"Okay." I say, in a wondering tone. "Well. If breathing in strange air is causing this...how come the rest of us aren't ill?"

"Well, me and Fang are use to this air since we're from Gran Pulse." Vanille says.

I just slap my hand on my forehead, sighing in annoyance. "I think he's talking about the rest of us 'Cocoon citizens'." Sazh says.

Fang looks down at Hope. "Well, I'd say it's because he was vulnerable. I mean, he's the youngest of us all, weak and tired from his eidolon fight last night."

"And also shivering from the cold rain." Lightning points out.

"That too." Fang says.

I cross my arms, looking down at Hope. "So, what do we do?" Snow asks.

"Well, first thing's first. We should make camp for the day, somewhere safe for the boy to rest and recover." Fang says.

I look up ahead. I noticed a trench path on the top of a cliff, that leads to the Aggra's Pasture. "What about over there?"

Fang looks at the passage I'm pointing at. "Maybe. Let's take a look." Fang says.

We decided to check out that passage. We set Hope on Snowflake and make our way to the cliff. This time, I ride on Snowflake. I have one hand holding on to the reins and my other wrap holding on to the sick boy.

We arrive at the cliff, looking up at it. "How are we gonna get up there?" Sazh asks.

"We can climb." Snow points out. "Question is, how are we gonna get Hope up there?"

Fang looks back at Me and Snowflake. "Chocobos are known to jump really high."

I nod at Fang, seeing where she's going at this. Snowflake squats down, ready to leap. "HYAH!" Snowflake leaps high up towards the cliff, and lands on the very edge of it. The chocobo moves away from the edge by a few feet, I look ahead at the passage, then look down at the group. "All clear!"

Everyone else climbs up the cliff. When everyone was in place, we make our way through the passage. We arrive at a small plateau area, that's crawling with some creatures. Everyone except for Vanille, who's watching over Hope protectively, fights the creatures, clearing out the area.

In about ten minutes, all the monsters are wiped out. I take Snowflake to the one corner of the area. "Right here should do." Fang says.

Lightning sits down on the spot. I lift Hope from Snowflake and lay him down on the soft ground, with his head laying on Lightning's lap. Hope starts shivering, we noticed he's feeling pretty cold. Lightning unbuttons her vest, she was about to lay it over Hope until Snow stops her.

"It's not enough." Snow removes his trench coat and lays it over Hope's body. In no time, Hope's shivering dies down. "There. All warm."

Lightning looks down at Hope, gently stroking him from head to shoulder. "What are we gonna do?" Lightning asks.

I turn to face Fang. "Can we do anything for him?"

"Not sure. I've never seen anything this bad." Fang says. We say nothing, just look at Fang. "Well, I do know a recipe for some soup, it might help him out."

Vanille walks up to Fang. "Yeah. I know some remedies that'll help him out with his condition."

"All right. So what can we do?" Sazh asks.

"All right, old man. You can come with me and get the ingredients for the soup." Fang grabs onto Sazhs arm, drags him.

"Wha-hey!" Sazh gets dragged into Fang's errand.

I just shake my head seeing those two. How crazy. I look down at Hope, who's coughing and gasping in his sleep. Vanille tilts her head in my view, which caught me by surprise.

"Hey!" Vanille stands up straight. "I might need some help getting the ingredients too. But the only problem is that...It's all the way in Yaschas Massif."

I can see where this is going. "Fine, I'll give you ride." Vanille squeals a cheer, and I just flick her in the forehead. "Silly girl..." I walk up to Snowflake, mount on her. Snowflake moves in front of Lightning and Hope, Vanille hops on right behind me and wraps her arms around my waist to hold on. I look down at Lightning then at Snow. "We'll be back. Take care of the boy." Lightning and Snow nods, then I gently whip the reins. "HYAH!"

Snowflake takes off down the path we took to get here, leaving Snow and Lightning alone with Hope. "I'm...sorry." Hope mutters. Lightning and Snow looks down at Hope. Hope starts to open his eyes, only very slightly. "I'm sorry...I didn't...tell you."

"It's okay." Lightning says in a gentle tone. Hope moans in agony as he grips his fingers onto his chest. "Shh...Relax. You're going to be okay."

"I'm scared." Hope says.

"Shh...Don't be scared." Lightning says. "Hope, remember what I told you in Palumpolum." Hope wonders off in his mind hearing that, remembering that time he rejoined with Lightning and Fang back in his hometown. Lightning hugged him and she told him that she'll keep him safe, and Hope told her he'll try to do the same. "You don't have to be scared, Hope. I'll keep you safe, no matter what."

"Lightning's right. We're here for you buddy." Snow says. "You're going to be okay."

Hope gives a slow nod. He looks behind snow, noticing there's no one behind him. "Where...where's everyone?"

"They're going to get some stuff to help you." Snow explains. "Just hang in there." Hope drifts back into unconsciousness. Snow sits next to Lightning. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"I'm sure he will. He's strong." Lightning says.

Snow smiles and ruffles the boy's hair. "He certainly is."

Meanwhile, Fang and Sazh makes their way to the Font Namva area in the Archylte Steppe. As they approach close to the area, Sazh reacts in disgust, but then takes a moment to realize the familiar stench.

"Wait! I know that smell!" Sazh runs in ahead, laughing. Fang just stays behind watching him run off, then walks ahead. Sazh enters the Font Namva to find a small area surrounded by waterfalls with watering holes. In that area also has chocobos everywhere.

"Ha! I knew it!" Sazh waves his hands in the air, at the chocobos. "Hey you!" The chocobos raises their heads and starts crawing like crazy. Sazh just laughs in excitement at the chocobos. When they're done, they start disbanding, wondering around the area.

Sazh looks down, kneeling as he notices the baby chocobos. "Hey. What do we have here? New friends, huh?"

Sazh looks at his baby chocobo no his shoulder, it craws in excitement. "Why don't you go say hi?" The baby chocobo flies out of Sazhs shoulder and lands into the group of baby chocobos, wither sloppy. It lands and bumps into one of the other baby chocobos from behind.

Sazh stands up. He watches the little chocobo talking to the other ones, then it flies back onto Sazhs hand. "Yeah. I know. You're sticking with me until Dajh wakes up...Could be a long wait, no one knows." Sazh turns around, he's surprised to see Fang right behind him, arms crossed with a grumpy look on her face.

"hey-wh-what! You watching me or something? Some on, say something or something!" Sazh says.

"Didn't want to interrupt." Fang says. "And...you know..." Fang looks away in shame. "I didn't quite know where to begin."

"You don't have to begin anywhere." Fang turns to look at Sazh hearing that. "What happened to Dajh...wasn't your fault."

"But, Sazh..."

Fang was cut out when Sazh shook his head. "No need. You have enough weight on your shoulders all ready. It was my fault, letting Dajh out of my sight like that...That one is on me."

Sazh turns to walk away. That's when Fang speaks up. "And you're just gonna deal with that on your own? Is that it?"

Sazh laughs a little. "I don't have to." Sazh holds the baby chocobo in front of him. "I have this guy right here." The chocobo jumps and chirps.

Fang just smiles and chuckles. "Whatever you say, funny man." Fang takes out her lance, looking at the group of Sahagin's in the lake. "Let's get the stuff we'll need."

Fang charges in after it. Sazh sighs as he takes out his guns. "All right then."

Meanwhile, me and Vanille are riding on Snowflake through the Yaschas Massif. We enter the Ascendant Scarp. Snowflake runs on the log bridge, hops through island to island. Vanille seems very amazed at the ride. Of course she's just being Vanille.

"Oh! Stop right here!" Vanille tells me.

I pull on the reins. "Whoa, girl!" Snowflake stops in the middle of a large island. Vanille hops off and skips to a bush filled with golden lilies. I hop off as well, watching Vanille.

"These are perfect." Vanille says.

"Let's get what we need and get back." I say. Vanille nods, she kneels down picking at the lilies.

I look around, noticed a bush filled with red flowers. I walk up to them, kneel down for a close look. I was about to touch one, then Vanille grabs her waist, stopping me.

"I wouldn't touch those." Vanille says. "They're Lava Blooms. They are crazy hot. A single touch would feel like you're bathing in molten lava."

I was surprised to hear that. Vanille leaves and continues picking some herbs, while I secretly picked the Lava Blooms, carefully I might add. When I'm done, I return to Snowflake, petting and feeding her. "Yes. You're a good girl, aren't you?" I tell the chocobo.

Vanille picks at some different flowers and herbs. When she was done, her beg is full. She stands and looks at me with a sadden expression on her face.

"Um...Patrick?" I look at Vanille curiously. "Can I...ask you something?"

"What's is it?" I ask.

Vanille holds her hands together, behind her back, as she slowly walks up to me. "Well...I want to know...did you really...you know? What you said back in Nautlius. It's true, isn't it?"

I feel my expression dropping hearing that. What I said back there. I can tell what she's talking about: My father. I look down slightly, turning back to the Chocobo and gently stroke her.

"Yea." I say in a despair tone.

"Aw...why did you do it?" Vanille asks.

"I don't know...I felt like I had no choice." I say. There was a bit of silence in between. "My father...he became a l'Cie." Vanille seems surprised to hear that. "I didn't believe him at first, but when I did...it was too late." I look back at Vanille. "He failed his focus, and became a Cie'th."

"That's terrible." Vanille says.

I nod. "Yeah...I thought I could save him. I tried to put some sense into him. Snap him out of his nightmare. But I couldn't...I couldn't save him. He could have killed me, so I did what was left." I reach into my pocket for the dagger, I pull it out of it's holster and look down at the bloodstained knife. "I didn't know what else to do. I was scared...lost...confused...sad."

Snowflake looks at me with a sorrow kweh. Vanille walks up to me. She lowers the dagger, and I look up a little facing her. I can see the sorrow look in her face, and her eyes shows how sorry she feels for me. Vanille wraps her arms around me, I don't bother to fight her hug.

"I'm sorry." Vanille says, laying her head on my chest.

"Hmm..." After a moment, I gently push Vanille off of me. "Whatever."

When I push her off of me, it wasn't much, just to give me a little space, Vanille still had her hands on her. the girl looks up at me, then she looks at my left arm, gently stroking it.

"Does it hurt?" She asks.

I look down at my arm. "Hmm...only a bit. Nothing serious."

Vanille looks back at me. "I think I can fix it, if you want me too."

I say nothing at first, then I shook my head. "No. Fixing it won't help." Vanille removes her hands from me as I slowly turn facing Snowflake. "Nothing can cure me from the pain."

I know that Vanille is talking about the pain I'm having from the scars on my arm, but Vanille knows that kind of pain I'm really talking about: Guilt.

I grab the reins and hop on Snowflake. "Um..." I look at Vanille. "What was your father like?"

"Hmm...He was a good man." I say. I command Snowflake to turn around, facing the path we took to get here. "When my mother died, he took good care of me. He also never did anything to 'ease' his suffering. You know, like drinking or smoking..." I slowly place my right hand on the left arm, on the sleeve. "...Or cut himself."

Vanille's sadden expression deepens a little, then I look down at the girl. "Enough talk, let's get back to the others." Vanille nods in agreement and hops on Snowflake. "HYAH!" Snowflake takes off, and we make our way back to camp.

The sun starts setting, Lightning looks up at the orange sky, then back down at Hope, who's struggling to stay alive. Snow just stands around the area, looking at the passage waiting. Snow turns and walks up to Lightning.

"Where is everyone?" Snow asks.

"I don't know. I thought they would be back by now." Lightning says.

Snow sits next to Lightning, they waited a little longer. Just then, me and Vanille arrives. "Whoa, Snowflake!" I say, pulling on the reins. When Snowflake stops, Vanille hops off and rushes to a flat rock.

"Time to get to work." She says, placing the bag of herbs on the table.

I hop off of Snowflake, and bring her to Lightning and Snow. "How's Hope doing?" I ask.

"He's been coming and going. You know, the usual." Lightning says.

I sit in front of Lightning, since her other side is occupied by Hope. "I'll bet."

I look down at the sick boy, me and Lightning are both in silence, until she speaks. "Thank you."

I look at Lightning with a confused look. "For what?"

"For saving him." Lightning says with a smile. "I knew I wouldn't be able to make it, but I felt like I had to try. I just wouldn't give up on him."

"I knew that too." I say with a small chuckle. "But you really shouldn't be thanking me." I look at Snowflake and whistle to her. Snowflake walks up to me, leans her head to me, and I give her a scratch under her beak. "You should really be thanking Snowflake. Couldn't have done it without her."

Snowflake turns her head to Lightning and she rubs on her. Lightning smiles and laughs a little, then pets Snowflake on the head. "Well, thank you, Snowflake."

"Aww, that brings back memories." Fang says. Me and Lightning turned to see it's Fang, dragging a dead Sahagin. Behind her is Sazh, who's carrying some berries and coconuts. "Reminds me of the time you and Hope were at that petting zoo in Nautlius."

Lightning gives Fang a look, telling her to not bring it up. Sazh is surprised to hear this. "Wait-wait. What? You showed the kid around the city? Well, well."

"Shut up." Lightning tells Sazh.

Me, Fang, Sazh and Snow just laughs at Lightning. Vanille walks up to Hope with an old jar that's filled with some ointment. Something she made perhaps. Vanille kneels beside Hope, putting some of it on his nose and neck.

"This should help him with his breathing." Vanille says cheerfully.

"Well, guess I better get started on that soup." Fang says. "Come on, Sazh."

Sazh sighs as he follows Fang. Vanille returns to Hope with a small bowl filled with some strange liquid. "This will help with his chest pain." Vanille pours some onto her hands, rubs her hands together. She slips her hands underneath Hope's shirt and rubs the stuff on his chest.

The moment she starts, Hope winces and cries in agony. Certainly startled me, Snow and Lightning. "How so? By giving him even more pain?" I ask.

Vanille giggles. "No silly, that's how it starts." Vanille finishes her rub. When she's done, she slides her hand out of under Hope's shirt and wipes the rest of the medicine on the grass. "After a minute, it'll make the pain go away."

Vanille stands up and skips away. I just shook my head watching Vanille skipping off. "Silly kid..."

We all wait for Fang to finish up dinner. While waiting, Hope's breathing starts to steady, and his painful moaning dies down. Fang finishes the soup. I grab a bowl of the soup and take it to Hope.

Hope wakes up, and Lightning takes the bowl, and she feeds the soup to Hope. The rest of us gathers by the campfire, having dinner. After that, we decided to rest for the night. I take the first watch while everyone else goes to sleep. I just know I'm not gonna be able to get enough sleep before someone wakes me for my three to dawn shift, so I volunteered for the first watch.

Vanille is curled up by the fireplace, with Fang behind her. Sazh is dead asleep on a boulder. Snow is sleeping and snoring like a log next to Lightning, and about six feet away from Lightning and Hope is Snowflake, laying on the ground asleep. Lightning is the only one awake. She tries hard to fall asleep, but it's not easy for a soldier girl who's a light sleeper. Lightning just lays on the ground with Hope laying asleep near her, with his head on her lap.

Looking at Lightning and Hope together just makes me feel warm inside, they are just adorable together, like brother and sister. It's nice for Hope to have someone to relay on. Just like I have Serah to help me on tough times.

It's already midnight and my shift should be just about over. Lightning is still awake, probably the only one, other then me, of the group. She just keeps her eyes on the sick little boy on her lap. Lightning's really worried for him, watching him, she sighs.

Lightning looks at Snow next to her, then looks at the crystal tear that's resting on his hand. Lightning reaches for the crystal tear and takes it. She holds it close to her face, looking at it. Then she holds it up in the air, holding it directly to Cocoon, looking at it. That's when her mind drifts off into the crystal tear.

Lightning sees herself to be in the middle of nowhere. For miles around, there's nothing but light. Lightning wonders what's going on, but then when she turns around, she sees a figure. It's very clear that figure is Serah, with her back turned.

"S...Serah?" Serah turns around, looking at Lightning with a smile.

"Hello, Lightning." Serah says.

"H...hey." Lightning says.

Serah walks up to Lightning. "So...what's on your mind?"

Lightning looks down. "I don't know..."

"It's about him, isn't it? ...The little boy?" Serah asks.

Lightning was silence for about five seconds, then she answers. "I guess...it feels weird, worrying about someone you barely know, someone you just met."

"I think it's nice that you've found someone else to care about." Serah says. Lightning doesn't say anything, just stares at Serah. "I was happy to see you have fun with him in Nautlius. You two looked so cute together watching those fireworks."

Lightning smiles a little at that happy memory. "Hmm...Yeah. Hope's a good kid."

"What about Patrick?" Serah asks.

Lightning looks up. "What about him?"

"Aren't you worried about him...cause of what he said?"

Lightning wonders what Serah could have meant, but then she remembers what I've said back in Twilight Forest, right around my eidolon fight.

"I guess." Lightning sits down in place. "I was pretty surprised when he said he killed his own father...and then what he's done to himself."

Serah sits next to Lightning. "Yeah. I felt shocked to hear him admit it."

Lightning seems surprised and looks at her sister. "He never told you?" Serah shook her head.

"His father is dead, that's all I know. He told me about his mother and what happened, but never about his dad." Serah says.

"I feel bad for him." Lightning looks back at her feet. "I understand he would feel guilt but...why would he punish himself like that? Does he know what he did is what it's meant to be?"

Lightning doesn't say anything, but Serah does. "Talk to him." Lightning looks at Serah. "Tell him the truth. He'll understand."

Lightning takes a moment to respond, she smiles and nods, and that's when everything flashes and Lightning returns into reality. Lightning lowers her arm, holding the crystal tear in front of her.

"Serah..."

Just then, Hope moans and whimpers a sleep. Lightning looks down at the sick boy, she can see Hope's starting to have a bad dream. She gently strokes his hair and hushed at him, hoping it'll calm him down, and it does. Lightning looks around to see everyone else is asleep as well.

Lightning looks at the passage into the trench was came into, to her surprise, Lightning sees that I'm not at my post. _What is he doing? _Lightning removes the cape, she folds it until it's small enough to surve as a pillow.

Lightning carefully lifts Hopes head, trying hard not to wake him up. She moves aside and rests his head on her folded cape. When she was done, she gets up and moves to where I was. "He probably didn't get far."

Lightning looks around. She walks down the trench. With each step she takes, she gets a bit worried to not find me. She eventually finds me by a cliff, that we had to climb up to enter this place. I just sit on the edge with the blood stained dagger in my hands, looking down at it. I roll up my sleeve and position the dagger to cut myself. Lightning silently gasps at the sight of it, and holds her breath when she sees I do nothing else.

I just sigh deeply and move the dagger away from my scarred arm. "I always thought I could run away from my guilt. I always thought I could pay for what I've done. But it's never enough. No matter what I've done, it's never enough to escape from my mistake. How did you handle the pain when your parents died?"

Lightning slowly approaches me from behind. "I couldn't. I try to push it aside so I could be strong for Serah." Lightning says.

"Hmm...must be nice." I say.

Lightning is right behind me, about one foot away. "I'm sorry..."

Hearing that sends me to confusion, then I turn around to look at Lightning. "For what?"

"What I said...back in the Vestige." Lightning says.

Hearing that, our conversion flashes back inside my head. "Oh...that."

"You were right, Patrick. I should have been happy that Serah turned into crystal. After that eidolon fight in the Twilight Forest, I started to think. If Serah had turned into a Cie'th...that's when it's really over. She would have turned into a monster with no way of coming back." Lightning doesn't say anything else as she looks down at her feet. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, let alone saying you don't understand. I didn't know what you went through with your father...I'm sorry."

I say nothing else, then I return my attention to the view in front of me. "To be honest...I completely forgot about all of that." I say.

Lightning just sighs and then she sits right next to me. "I'm also sorry...about what I said that night." I look at Lightning with confusion. "On the night of my birthday...when you paid a visit after Serah was taken."

"Oh...that." I say. "You know, it really hurt."

"What I said or the punches I gave you?" Lightning asks.

I put a hand on my cheek, the one that Lightning punched, and gently rub it, as the pain she inflicted returned. "Both."

Lightning gives a slow nod. We both just sit in silence, Lightning was looking at the nightly view while I was staring down at the bloodstained dagger.

"How did this happen?" Lightning looks at me with confusion. "How did we ever end up in this l'Cie madness?"

"Well. I'd say it was because of Serah. She became a l'Cie and we tried to help her." Lightning says. "Of course she became a l'Cie because of Fang and Vanille."

I was surprised to hear that, I even looked at Lightning. "Really? She's a l'Cie because of them?" Lightning nods. "Huh..." I look back ahead, then down at the dagger. "What are the odds?"

"You're not mad?" Lightning asks.

I sigh, thinking. "Well, normally I would be if I knew from the start. I'm not mad at Vanille. With Fang...I'm not sure."

We were silent for a minute, then she speaks. "There's something I want to know." I turn to look at Lightning hearing that, then she turns to face me. "How did you and Serah met?"

I was silent. Thinking back that day isn't something I wanted to be reminded about. Sure, it was partly nice cause I got to be friends with Serah but...there's something else to it.

I look down at my lap. "It was weeks after my fathers death. The guilt and pain of killing him overwhelmed me. I was lost, casted off. I've lost the will to go on. I didn't deserve to live, and I couldn't die. Eventually, my body started to break. I didn't know what happened after that, the next thing I know...I was in a strange house, with Serah there."

"So she found you when you were suffering." Lightning explains.

"Yeah. I didn't want her to help me, but she denied it. I thought I didn't deserve someone like Serah, but even when I try to push her away, she just kept pulling me back." I say.

"Well, sounds like she really cares about you." Lightning says. Lightning looks back at the view. "She pretty knew what you were going through, and didn't want to leave you to suffer."

"No fooling. I even heard that you two recently lost your parents." I look back down at the dagger in my hand.

Lightning can pretty much tell I have something else on my mind. She puts a hand on top of mine. "It must have been hard for you...to kill him."

"How can I murder my own father and go unpunished?" I ask. "Let alone live through life. It's bad enough people assume I'm some kind of monster just because I'm the son of a l'Cie, but now I've became one by stabbing this dagger through his heart." I stare down at the dagger. "I don't know what I'm suppose to do. I can't live, I can't die. Cutting myself with this dagger won't help. And now I'm a l'Cie, just like my father was, and I'm probably gonna end up as a Cie'th, just like he did. Ha! What a joke. Maybe this cruel fate is my punishment."

"Patrick..." Lightning puts a hand on my chin, turns my head so I'm facing her. "You did what had to be done. You shouldn't hurt yourself like this just because you killed your own father. In fact...he wasn't your father anymore. Whatever he was, is gone the moment he turned into a Cie'th."

I don't say anything else. I turn my head away from Lightning and back at the dagger. "Let me ask you this: If it was you who turned into a Cie'th, what would you want your dad to do? Kill you and give you the death of peace or die and let you live your life as a monster, with the guilt of murdering your own father."

"I guess..." I don't say anything else, not even sure what to say or choose, then I sigh. "I don't know."

"I don't know your dad very well, but I do know he would be proud you ended his life. He probably wouldn't rest in peace thinking about killing you when he became a Cie'th."

I look down at the dagger, holding it in front of me. "Maybe you're right." Then I put it back in it's holster. After looking at it, I give a single chuckle. "It's kind of funny."

"What is?" Lightning asks.

"Usually, it's Serah who cheers me up when I'm having a hard time." I turn to look at Lightning. "You make me feel the same. It feels weird feeling better taking advice from her sister."

Lightning snickers and pats me on the back. "I'm sure it is…By the way." Lightning raises a hand in front of her, showing the ring on her finger. "Thanks for the ring. I like it."

"Glad you do…I thought it was creative, with your name being Lightning and all." I say.

Lightning nods. We both look back at the view, after a moment, Lightning crosses her legs and sighs. "So...those Big Sister's Complex magazines." I feel I'm out of my comfort zone hearing that. "Snow keeps giving them to you?"

"I'm afraid so." I say. I stand up, walking around. "I don't know what's going on in that head of his. It's like every time I tell him I want nothing to do with that kind of garbage, all he hears is 'Blah, blah, blah I want blah blah blah blah these blah magazines!'"

Lightning gives a single chuckle. "I'm not surprised he would do something like that. Does...Serah know about this?" Lightning asks.

"No. I was too afraid to tell her." I turn to face Lightning. "Everytime I tell some girl about this problem, they just assume I'm really one of those boys who hungers for the female exposure. Of course I sometimes wonder if they ever thought if I was, why the hell would I even tell them about it?" Lightning rolls her eyes hearing that, she gets what I mean. Why admit something bad to someone when you do it to them? "That's the burden of Immediate Judgement. It clouds their vision."

"So, you thought that Serah would do the same thing?" Lightning asks.

"Well, not exactly. I mean, I don't think she is, but I was afraid she might be. I just don't want to lose Serah. She's my only friend. I just couldn't take the risk." I say.

Lightning is surprised to hear that. "Really? You don't have any other friends?"

I shook my head. "No. I could never make any without Immediate Judgement attacking me like that." I snap my fingers when I said 'that'. I turn away from Lightning. "I just wish I could make other friends without Immediate Judgement. Not that there's anything wrong with Serah, but it's nice to have other friends."

Lightning walks up to me and puts her hands on my shoulders. "But you do have other friends. You have me and Hope and the others...well, the others and Snow."

I chuckle a little. "Yeah. I guess that's true." I say. "You know, Lightning...Serah. She was special for me."

"Why's that?" Lightning asks, a little curious.

"She was actually the first person who didn't assault me with Immediate Judgement. Before I met her, I was nothing but despair and doubt, mourning through the darkness. Until she came and comforted me. She..." I look up into the stars in the sky. "She became the light of my life. Serah was my best friend but...sometimes, she feels like a sister to me. I just love her so much, she's done so much for me, I'm not even sure I could even pay her back. Even when I found out she became a l'Cie, I still became her friend. She even wanted me to shoot her, but I still refused."

This is all very surprising news to Lightning, then I turn to face her. "You don't mind me loving her like a sister, do yea? Cause that means I'm gonna be your brother, or brother-in-law. Whatever works I guess."

"I don't mind really. In fact, I'm starting to love Hope like a little brother. Makes me wonder the same thing for Serah." Lightning says. "Besides, I have someone far worse then you who's gonna become my brother-in-law."

I just laugh at the thought of Snow. "Yeah. That's true...Well, I think she'll be happy with you and Hope, she always did tell me she wanted a little brother." I say. Lightning just laughs hearing that, she knows that too. I return my attention to the sky. "I just wish I could tell Serah how I really feel..."

We stay in silence for a minute, until Lightning breaks it. "Why don't you tell now?" I turn to face at Lightning, wondering what she meant. Then I noticed that crystal tear she's holding out in front of me. Lightning tosses it to me and I catch it.

I look down at the crystal, then up at Lightning. She nods at me, and then I hold the crystal tear in the nighttime sky, directly at Cocoon. Lightning stands behind from a distance, watching me. I stand frozen in place as Serah speaks to me from the tear. After a few minutes, I lay the tear down.

"That was Serah." I say.

Lightning walks up to me. "What did she say?"

I turn to face Lightning. "At first…she was crying." Lightning widens her eyes open hearing that. "She was touched to hear me say she felt like a sister to me." Lightning smiles then she gives a single nod. "Also, she's giving me permission to do something terrible to Snow for all those Big Sisters Complex magazines."

Lightning snatches the crystal tear from my hand, with that teasing smirk on her face. "You making that up? Doesn't sound like my Serah."

"Hey, she really did say that." I say.

Lightning punches me on the shoulder. "Lier."

Me and Lightning laughed, then we had back to camp. Before we made it back, I stopped. "Hey, Light." Lightning stops and turns to face me. "Is it going to be Snow's shift soon?" Lightning nods. "What would you say we give him a 'special' wake up call?"

Lightning looks confused, but noticing the devious grin on my face, she can tell what I mean and smirks as well. When we made it back to camp, me and Lightning tip toed across camp, until we reached the giant snoring log that's suppose to be Snow. Me and Lightning grab both ends of the cover Snow's laying on and carefully carries him out of camp, hoping not to wake him…not just yet.

We carry Snow all the way past through the trench passage. I'm surprised that the sleeping log hasn't woken up from all that carrying. When we made it to the cliff, we gently lay Snow down. I grab some vines handing from the cliffs in between us. I tie the vines to the cover by Snows feet.

Lightning does the same to the other end, only she stops when Snow shifts and wraps his arms around Lightning. "Serah." He mutters in his sleep.

Lightning widens her eyes at this, both rage and surprised, then she looks at me. I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, you are her sister." I whispered. Lightning just gives me a mean glare from my words, then she carefully breaks free from Snow's grip.

When both ends of the cover are tied, we slowly, gently lower Snow over the cliff to the ground below.

"Gently...gently." I whisper.

We lower Snow down until he was touching the ground, then me and Lightning leap from hanger to hanger of the cliff until we're on the ground. Of course when we landed, Snow moans and shifts in his sleep. at first, we froze, afraid he'll awake, but he doesn't.

We exhale in relief, grab both ends of the cover and continue on.

Me and Lightning find a large cliff. I look down at it, seeing how deep it is. It looks about at least 75 feet deep. I look back at Lightning, who's with the sleeping oaf.

"This is perfect." I whispered.

I kneel down and dump out the ingredients in my bag. Lightning kneels in front of me as I do some mixtures in a small bowl.

"What are you doing?" Lightning asks in a whisper.

"Mixing a solution extremely hot." I whisper.

Me and Lightning pauses when we hear a loud snort and moaning from Snow, then we sigh in relief when he's still asleep, and I continue with my work.

When I put in all the hot and spicy ingredients. "Now for the main source."

I take out a bag and bump all the petals of the lava bloom into the bowl. "What are those?" Lightning asks.

"Lava blooms. Vanille told me about them." I say. "They are dangerously hot. A single touch makes it feel like you're bathing in molten lava."

Lightning raises her eyebrows hearing that. "That's pretty hot I'll say."

"And...done. Now let's get Villier's hooked up." I say.

I take out my rope, Lightning ties one end to the nearest earth spike while I use one of my arrows to poke a hole on the edge of Snows underwear and tie the other end of the rope on it.

We positioned Snow sitting on the very edge of the cliff, shoving him over will make him fall even. Lightning holds on to Snow while I take out four earplugs and two soundproof earmuffs.

"You might wanna put these on." I warn her.

Lightning nods. We put the earplugs on first and then the earmuffs. Lightning holds on to the bowl. I look at Lightning, holding out three fingers, then two, the one and mouthed 'Now'.

Lightning quickly poors the hot stuff into Snow's underwear, as soon as that happens, Snow wakes up startled.

"What the-hot! Hot! HOT!" Before Snow could do anything, I shove him over the cliff. He was screaming as he was falling, both in fear from falling and in pain from the heat.

Snow falls until he was dangling on his underwater. When that happens, his face turns red, his eyes water like crazy, his teeth grit and smoke is coming out from behind him, then Snow screams very loudly. So loud, to us, it sounded like a stable volume.

Back at camp, everyone was startled from the scream and they reacted by planting their hands over their ears. The sound of Snow's screaming was so loud that to them, even at a far away distance, it sounds like a giant Adamantortoise was roaring right in front of their ears. I wouldn't be surprised if they become deaf after this, in fact, if any of them were deaf, I wouldn't be surprised if they heard the scream.

When Snow's screaming ends, me and Lightning removed the ear protections and waited. We waited for about fifteen minutes for Snow to climb back up.

His body was shaking and his face had that painful disfigured look. When Snow was standing, his legs wobbled like nuts and he collapses. Behind Snow is his underwear, stretched to about ten feet.

Snow looks up at me and Lightning. "What the hell was that?!" Snow asks, his voice all high pitched.

Me and Lightning couldn't help but laugh. "It's time for your shift." Lightning says.

"But why the hell did you throw me over a cliff?" Snow asks.

"Cause we couldn't find a lake to toss you into." I answered.

"Next time..." Snow tries to stand up. He could only stand about half way with his legs wobbling. "A simple 'Snow wake up' would have sufficed." Snow walks off, only really roughly with his legs wobbling, "Ow. Ow. Ow." then he collapses and then crawls the rest of the way. Me and Lightning just laughs at the doofus.

"You know, you're all right...for a mercenary." Lightning says to me.

"Thanks. You're not bad yourself, for a cold-blooded soldier girl." I say.

"Watch it." Lightning says, punching me on the shoulder.

I rub my shoulder while laughing. "Maybe when all of this l'Cie business is over, we should hang out sometime."

"Maybe we can." Lightning and I fist bumps each other.

We make our way back to the camp. Snow wasn't really too happy on the way. Snow plants his butt on the end of the passage, keeping watch. Lightning and I return to Hope. I notice Lightning is sitting down in front of him, laying his head on her lap.

"You don't have to watch him, you should get some rest." I say.

"No. I'll be fine. Besides, you need some rest since you haven't slept since we arrived on Pulse." Lightning says.

"Okay then." I make my way to Snowflake. "Well, good night."

Lightning watches me walk towards Snowflake. I lay done beside her, resting my head on her, finally getting some peaceful slumber. Some of that is cause I'm happy that I got even with Snow.

Nighttime seemed pretty long for Snow and Lightning. For Lightning, she can hardly get much sleep. Sometimes, it just comes to her when she feels like it. That and she's watching over Hope. She is worried about the sick little boy.

Morning finally comes. Vanille was the first one to awake. She stands and stretches, then looks around. Fang is now on watch. Lightning and Snow are asleep close with Hope. Sazh is laying against the boulder.

Vanille was surprised to see me asleep. The girl has never seen me sleep, not once. Fang returns to the campsite.

"Morning." Fang says.

"Good morning." Vanille says.

Fang looks down at me. "Looks like the boy here finally got himself some sleep, huh?"

Lightning and Snow were the next ones to wake up. Lightning looks down at her lap to find Hope's still asleep. She checks on the boy, he's breathing is normal, but still a little rough.

"Hope. Wake up." Hope wasn't easy to awaken. It takes over a minute to wake him up. "You feeling better?"

"I don't know." Hope says, sitting up with a hand on his head. "My head hurts a little, but I am better then I was yesterday."

Hope coughs. Lightning puts her head on his forehead. "You do feel warm. You're probably still sick." Hope agrees.

Sazh finally awakes. I'm now the only one who's on the train to dreamland. The gang decides to wait a little while for me to awaken, of course plans change when a giant fal'Cie serpent, Dahaka, flies by from above.

"What was that?" Snow asks.

"A Gran Pulse fal'Cie. Use to see it flying around all the time." Fang explains.

"And they say it had a home, somewhere near Oerba." Vanille says.

"So that's good news, right?" Hope says. "If we stay on its tail, we should end up in your village."

Vanille nods. "Let's follow it."

Sazh looks back at me. "Should we wake him up?"

Everyone looks down at me, I'm still sleeping. "Let him sleep. He couldn't get any since we arrived." Lightning says.

"We can't just leave him." Vanille says.

"We won't. I'll stay with him." Lightning says. Lightning turns to Hope. "Hope, you think you can move?"

"I think I can." Hope says, attempting to stand up. Everyone looks at him with concern. He stands up, takes a step forward. He staggers at first, but regains it.

"Okay. Just don't over do it." Snow says. "We'll move on ahead, you two catch up."

Lightning nods, then everyone else makes their leave.

* * *

Snow takes the lead in the group. They wonder around the Archylte Steppe, trying to figure out where the fal'Cie went to. They ran into a couple of creatures. Fang, Snow and Vanille does all the fighting, while Sazh looks after the somewhat weak Hope from the distance.

Fightning gets tough for the trio-fighters, mainly when they run into Behemoth King's. For most of the fights, Fang and/or Snow had to summon their eidolons for some assistance. At some point of the traveling, Hope starts to get exhausted. Vanille decided to stay back and help the boy walk.

The gang arrives at the Northern Highplain. They enter some trench, where Snow detects a tunnel up ahead. "There's a way through here." Snow yells back at the group.

Fang and Sazh stops. Vanille helps Hope walk towards a wall. "Let's stop for a moment, the kid's getting tired." Fang says.

Vanille sets Hope down on the wall. Hope sighs in exhaustion as he sits down. "Plus, we should wait and see if Lightning and Patrick are gonna catch up." Sazh says.

Back at the old campsite, Lightning stand guards. I start waking up. Lightning hears my moaning, then looks to see I'm sitting up.

"Hey." Lightning says.

I look at Lightning. "Hey."

I stretch my arms out. "I take it you got a good night's sleep." Lightning says.

"I sure did." I say. I stand up, then look around. "Hey, where's everyone else?"

"They moved on ahead. I stayed behind to look after you." Lightning says.

"Normally, I'd say I wouldn't need protection, but I guess I shouldn't complain since we're on a bloodthirsty wildlife planet." I say. "Well, shell we get going?"

"Let's." Me and Lightning gets on Snowflake, then we take off.

We ride through the fields of Gran Pulse. Lightning was a bit uncomfortable with the ride since she has never rode on a Chocobo in her life. She manages to get use to the ride. We arrive at the Northern Highplain, where we find the rest of the group.

"Hey, glad you guys caught up." Snow says.

Me and Lightning hops off Snowflake. "How did you guys find us?" Hope asked, exhausted.

"We followed the trail of corpses." I say.

"Oh..." Vanille giggles innocently.

"Anyways, there's a way through here. It should take us to Obera." Snow says.

"Then let's go." Lightning says, moving on ahead.

We all went down the tunnel. Hope only has little energy left, so we've decided that the kid should rest on Snowflake until his recovery.

As we travel down the tunnels, we arrive at Mah'habara Subterra, a strange underground tunnel. It was pretty dark, so Vanille had to conjure up some fire to light the way. I did find a big stick that was can use as a torch, so that Vanille didn't have to keep using her magic.

Our path was crawling with robots, mechanical fighters. They are never easy to defeat. Everyone fights the enemies while I stay behind with Hope and the chocobo, holding on to the torch. Oh sure, let them have all the fun.

**[A/N: What happens next, it's just something really funny. I couldn't resist writing it]**

* * *

Halfway, we run into a split crossroads. Me, Vanille and Snow took the left side while everyone else took the right. The three of us wonders down the tunnel. There are no monsters, which is weird. However, we do enter a part of the tunnel where there are gems in the walls.

"Wow..." Vanille starts running ahead, spinning and looking around. "A gold mine."

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho. Looks like we hit the mother load." Snow says.

"Stay focus you two. We need to find a way out of here." I say.

"Okay. Just be on the lookout for eight dwarfs." Vanille says.

Snow seems confused. "Don't you mean seven?"

Vanille shook her head. "No, no. Everyone always forgets the eight dwarf: Crazy."

I give Vanille a stink eye and walk past her. "I think you're crazy."

Vanille gives me a grumpy look and put her fists on her hips. "No! I'm not Crazy. I'm not even a dwarf."

I was about to say something, then I suddenly hear screaming. I look ahead to find the seven dwarfs running past us in fear. We all focus our attention on the dwarfs, then we look back ahead. Something up ahead makes us scream then start running away.

The eight dwarf: Crazy, is running towards us with a chainsaw, laughing manically. "Ah! He's crazy!" Snow shouts.

"Of course that's Crazy. He's the eighth dwarf." Vanille says.

"No! I don't mean he's Crazy, I mean he's crazy!" Snow shouts.

We all run out the tunnel, then take the other one where Lightning and the others took. Luckily, Crazy just kept moving forward. Even through he's not following us, we're still running for our lives.

"Note to self: Take dwarfs off of the Mercenary job!" I say.

* * *

Me, Vanille and Snow caught up with Lightning and the others. We move on ahead through the tunnels. "A Gran Pulse fal'Cie made this path." Fang says.

"Yep. I bet it's off digging more tunnels right now." Vanille says.

I take a look at my surroundings. "They seem very different from all the fal'Cie we've seen on Cocoon." Hope says.

"It sure is." I say. "It's almost like they just plow through, without caring what happens around them."

"That's true. Then again, we were able to build our village on land cleared by fal'Cie." Fang says. "We lived alongside with them, just like you do on Cocoon."

"Oh yeah. This is just like Cocoon." Sazh says sarcastically.

"Better watch your tone, old man." I tell Sazh.

"In a world this big, who knows what we'll find." Lightning says.

She ain't wrong. We continue on the path, taking on the bombs and Pulsework Knights. Sometimes, I wonder much about the ties of Pulse and the Sanctum. The Sanctum tells us that Pulse is Hell on earth, but why? If it's cause of the wildlife and crazy robots, it's no different then it is on Cocoon.

It's almost as if the Sanctum doesn't want any of us knowing the truth of Pulse cause they have no control of anything in it.

We continue down the path, we also ran into those blob slime creatures. Personally, I'm glad I'm not getting involved in combat at the moment, cause those things are just annoying. I do feel bad for everyone else that they had to fight them, expect for Snow.

After the battle, we all walked on the bridge. A deep rumbling happens, staggering us a little. "Guys, heads up." Sazh says.

A large Fal'Cie, Atomos, rolls right by, rolling on the trench passage. "Whoa. Look at that thing." Snow says. Atomos leaves us. "Let me guess: That's a fal'Cie?"

"Yep. Bust Carving out new tunnels." Vanille answers.

"Making roads where roads ain't meant to go, huh? Kind of sounds like us." Snow says.

"Correction, sounds like you." I say to Snow.

"All right roly-poly. Let's hitch a ride on that thing." Snow says.

"Now you're thinking Gran Pulse style." Vanille says with a cheer.

I disapprove the idea. "Villiers, that's the most stupidest idea you have ever thought of." Everyone just ignores me, even Snowflake. The chocobo just follows the group as they move on. I sighed, following them. "I'm gonna regret this..."

We move around the platform, then take the next bridge onto the left. We had to fight the Pulse machineries that are in the way. Once we're off the bridge, it's clear cut ahead. No creatures or Pulsework Knights and so on.

Fang and a Vanille are up ahead, the rest of us are starting to fall behind. Fang looks back at us. "Hey, don't you kiddies fall behind." She tells us.

Vanille and Fang finds an exit of this tunnel. The end of the tunnel leads to a small plateau that's filled with flowers.

Vanille sequels, then runs to the flowers laughing. Fang walks up to Vanille. "These flowers." Vanille looks back at Fang. "You remember them, right?"

"Yeah, I sure do. They grew all over Obera." Fang says.

"We can be far now." Vanille says, standing up.

Fang was silent for a moment, something's on her mind. "It's my fault Gran Pulse ended up like this, isn't it?" Vanille is surprised to hear Fang say that. "I remember everything...I became Ragnarok. I scarred Cocoon. And I left Gran Pulse in this mess. It was me."

Vanille tries to hide it. "What are you talking about?"

"It came back to me. Everything happened with our Focus. All of it." Fang says.

"You're lying." Saying that doesn't hide the truth.

The brand on Vanilles thigh glows, and she can feel the pain coming. "No, it's the truth. It's my fault."

"Don't say that." Vanille shouts at Fang, but saying that only makes it worse.

Vanilles brand glows brightly. Fang looks at Vanille with concern. "Vanille!"

A large summoning circle appears underneath a Vanille. Over dozens of arms pops out of the circle, which startles Vanille. Vanille runs out of the circle to Fang, then a large eidolon rises out of the ground, with four arms and about a dozen arms for each of his shoulders. Hecatoncheir.

"The eidolon's knows the truth. Ha! I knew I was right." Fang says.

"Wait, so you were lying." Vanille says.

"No more then you were." Fang points out. "Admit it! You remember everything!"

"It wasn't! It wasn't your fault." Vanille says.

Fang can see that this isn't a good time. "Vanille." Fang takes out her lance. "We should talk about this later."

Vanille takes out her binding rod, facing her eidolon. Hecatoncheir casts Doom on Vanille, she only has 180 seconds to live.

Fang shifts into Sentinel, taking all the attacks from the eidolon. Vanille shifts into Saboteur, casting Imperil and Deshell. Hecatoncheir does Pummel, strikes at Fang with each of his arms, then a Hurricane Kick combo, sweep kicks with a wind element strike.

Vanille shifts into Ravager and casts her magic spells at the eidolon. Fang does Mediguard, defends herself. Hecatoncheir does Pummel, then Hurricane Kick and Force Projection as a finishing combo, jabs his arms in the ground and rises underneath Fang, a beneath strike. Vanilles attacks causes Hecatoncheir to do Counter, attacks with a massive spike rising beneath Vanille.

Vanille has 90 seconds to live. Hecatocheir does Hurricane Kick on Fang, then Aerial Tackle, strikes midair then finishes with a kick on the ground, rising a large spike beneath Fang. Fang uses Steelguard, protecting herself from the Aerial Tackle. Hecatocheir does Quake, dealing earth damage to Vanille and Fang.

Vanille shifts into Medic, heals herself with Cure, then Curaga on Fang. Hecatoncheir does Pummel, Hurricane Kick then Force Project. After done healing up Fang, Vanille shifts back into Ravager and continues her offensive magic.

Vanille has 45 seconds to live. Hecatocheir does Pummel, Aerial Tackle then Force Projection. Fang uses Mediguard, blocked about half of the combo attacks. Vanille casts Waterga then Blizzaga.

With 30 seconds to spare, the Doom spell cancels. Hecatoncheir enters Gestalt Mode, transforming into some kind of cannon machine (I don't really know, you'll have to see it to get it. Basically his shoulder arms merges into large assault guns and it gets on all sixes and Vanille sits on its back)

Hecatoncheir fades into crystal shards and Vanille's brand absorbs him. After a moment of rest, Fang speaks. "I knew something was off." Fang sighs. "You've been shying away from our Focus ever since we woke up on Cocoon." Vanille doesn't know what to say, feeling scared and guilty now that Fang realizes the truth. "I couldn't figure it out. But then it all made sense, after hearing that story from Raines. You already knew. You knew Ragnarok was the name of destruction."

Silence falls between the two. "It wasn't fair. You had to do all that horrible stuff, and I didn't have to do anyth-"

"That is no reason to lie to me!" Fang shoots at Vanille. "You think that's what I want? You of all people?!"

Fangs hand forms into a fist, ready to make a blow on Vanille. Vanille gasps in surprised, but closes her eyes looking down, accepting her punishment, just like back in Nautlius. Nothing happens, even for too long of a pause, Vanille didn't stop at her position. Finally, Fang just gives Vanille a soft punch in the forehead.

Vanille looks up at Fang, a little surprised it was just a soft blow. "Poor kid. You've had it rough." Vanille doesn't say anything, just gives the look of despair. Fang puts her hands on Vanille's shoulders. "Listen, you're not alone anymore."

Vanille slowly breaks down crying. "I'm so sorry." She says with her voice cracking.

Fang pulls Vanille into a hug. "Keep that up and you'll have me crying soon." Vanille just kept on crying on Fang's shoulder. "We have a new family now. We stick together, you hear me?"

Fang and Vanille stays this way for a while. Fang looks up ahead to find me, standing there with my arms crossed, a soft expression of sorrow. "How long have you been standing there?"

Surprised to hear that, Vanille stops crying and turns around to find me. "Long enough." I walk up to the two as Lightning and the others catches up from behind. I look directly at Vanille. "I get how you feel, I went through the same thing with my father. You knew how I felt when he turned into a monster? When he attacked me?" I close my eyes, sighed after that. "It was very hard for me. I didn't know what to do."

Vanille doesn't say anything, looks down pretty speechless. I put a hand on her shoulder. "At least you still have Fang afterwards. My father...he's never coming back."

Vanille looks up at me, first with that sorrow expression. Vanille looks at back, then backs at me with a small smile. "Yeah. You're right."

Fang smiles as well, then they move on ahead. I watch the two with a soft sorrow expression then sighs. I turn around, seeing I've earned surprising looks from everyone else, well mostly Lightning, Snow and Sazh. Hope's barely doing much of an expression since he's still sick.

"What?" I asked with a slight annoyance.

Snow walks up to me. "I see you have a soft side for Vanille." Snow says with that stupid smile and a chuckle. My anger raises hearing that. "And I'm more surprised to hear what happened to your father. You want to-"

I grabbed Snow's hand as he tries to put it on my shoulder. I grabbed and twisted it, giving Snow some pain. Sazh and Hope are surprised to see this, Lightning, not so much.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay! Uncle! Uncle!" Snow slowly gets down to his knees, I glare down at his painful expression.

"If case you are forgetting, I've decided to spare your life after I wanted to kill you for everything you've done to me. Do not make me regret making that mistake!" I shove Snow's hand away.

Snow grabs hold of his hand, easing the pain, then looks at me as I turn and move ahead, catching up to Vanille and Fang.

Snow just sits there, watching me. Lightning walks up, stops right next to Snow. She leans by her side to Snow. "Told yea not to bring up his father." Lightning moves ahead quickly afterwards. Once she does, Sazh and Hope and Snowflake moves on as well.

Once everyone's ahead, Snow stands up and moves on ahead.

We all walk down the tunnel. Vanille had to light another torch, and of course I had to carry it. The passage was clear from monsters, up until we had to jump through a pile of junk, then we find some more of there filthy slime blobs. Once again, I'm glad I'm not in that fight, those things are annoying.

While we're moving, I started a small conversion with Hope. "You okay, kid?"

"Yeah. I'm doing fine." Hope says, tiresome.

"Sorry that you're sick." I say.

Hope looks at me, rather dizzily. "It feels awful."

"Yeah, I never know what it's like. I've never been sick in my life." I look ahead. "Not even one of those sickness's when you get when you're starving and cold standing out in the rain."

"That happened to you?" Hope asked.

"Yep. Long before I've met Serah, shortly after my father died." I look at Hope. "The raining part was unpleasant. Even my blood froze. I can't stand the cold afterwards." I give a small shake of shiver. "I can still feel the chill running up my spine."

We still moved on when were arrived at some bridge leading to a platform. I can hear the fal'Cie coming, as it rushes and digs on the trench below us. That thing is very crazy, I can't imagine what's gonna happen if we actually tried to ride it, like Snow suggested. If this back fires big time, I'm gonna kill the doofus like I should have done in the first place.

We leave the platform, taking the bridge on the other end, and continue down the tunnels. "Got to be getting close, huh?" Vanille says.

"I hope so. This place gives me the creeps." Sazh says.

"I'm with you there, old man." I commented.

I now envy the rest of the group, as they take on the mechanical fighters. How did I get stuck on torch and babysitting duty?

We kept on going until we've reached a large platform. In front of us is a deactivated Juggernaut. We all walk aside from it, except for Hope, who stumbles off the chocobo and checks the large machine.

We all stand in at the edge of the platform, looking. "No way through." Sazh says. "That fal'Cie must have been slacking."

I fold my arms in front of me. "There must be some way to get across."

We all us our heads for a moment, thinking of an idea. Then we all get interrupted by the sounds of Hope's screaming. We turn and look to see the kid is riding on an active Juggernaut.

"Wait! Stop already!" Hope yells at the machine, as it moves forward towards the trench.

We're all surprised and a bit worried to see this, except for Lightning who groans in annoyance. "It's the Vile Peaks all over again."

I turn looking at Lightning. "Again?"

"Long story." Lightning says, not taking her attention off of the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut falls into the trench and crashes. Hope feels off of the machine as well. "Hope! Get out of there!" Lightning yells down.

Hope struggles to get up. The kid is still sick and the fall certainly didn't help. I pull out my rope, tying the one end into a lasso. "I'll get him." I hand the other end to the group. "Lower me down."

The lasso hangs over the edge. I grab on to the rope, laying a foot on the lasso as the group lowers me down. Halfway down, I hear deep rumbling, the group stopped as well, to look and see Atomos is coming our way.

"Oh no!" Vanille says.

Hope sees the fal'Cie coming, starts to worry. His life's attempting to come to an end once again. But that changes when a Juggernaut jumps in and holds the fal'Cie in place. Atomos is still rolling, but it's rolling in place.

"Is it trying to stop it?" I asked.

More Juggernauts appears right behind Hope. At first, I was worried, but noticed they're walking past the kid and start holding Atomos in place.

"What are they doing?" Lightning asks.

One-by-one, the Juggernauts grabs hold of the fal'Cie, until it finally stops spinning. "Well, that was cool. Go robot guys." Snow says, with a cheer in the end.

The group continues lowering me down until I'm on the group. I help Hope stand up, grab hold of him with one arm and holding onto the rope with the other, then the group pulls us up.

We made it back up on the platform. Snow and Lightning holds onto Hope with dear life. From Lightning, I'm surprised.

"All right, enough with the moments." Fang says. "Let's hope on Trailblazer here, while we still have the chance."

We all board on the Atomos, I still have a bad feeling about this. Once we're all on, Atomos starts rolling off on the trail.


	17. Gran Pulse part III

A/N: The final part of the Gran Pulse chapter. Our journey has been crazy, even since we're once again riding a fal'Cie. Now we will soon face another fal'Cie in a fallen tower, as we make our way to Oerba in hope to find a way to free us from this l'Cie curse.

Chapter 11: Gran Pulse

The fal'Cie digs through the tunnels until it out in the open. We all board off of Atomos. We can see that we're on a small cliff that only has one passage, into a tunnel.

We all walk down the tunnel until we arrive at the Sulyya Springs. It's a large open caverns that's surrounded by hot water. I take Snowflake to the edge where some steam is rising from the waters, then help Hope get off and lean down over the edge.

"Here, some steam should do you some good." I tell him.

While Hope is taking the moment to breath in some hot air, Snow is standing in place, holding up Serahs crystal tear to the skylight.

Vanille walks up from behind, watching Villiers. "Whatcha doing?" Vanille asks.

Snow lowers his arm. "I was...just talking to Serah." Snow answered. "Just telling her that...we're all gonna be okay."

Snow looks over his shoulder to Vanille. He holds out the tear in front of her. Vanille holds out her hands, so Snow could drop the tear in hers.

Hope raises his head from the edge, then sneezes pretty hard. "I think I inhaled too much." Hope sneezes again.

Vanille holds the tear, facing at the skylight. "It's so pretty." Vanille says with a smile. As Vanille gazes at the crystal tear, she can see that moment when she and Serah first met.

[Flashback: Day 9 - The Seaside City of Bodhum]

Serah and Vanille are walking on the shores of Bodhum. Vanille was more like skipping around. By the waters, Serah sits down while Vanille was walking around.

Vanille sighs as she looks at the sunset. "How's the scrape?" Serah asks.

Vanille looks back and down at Serah. "Fine. Much better, thanks to you." Vanille sits down next to Serah. "Oh, sure you don't mind? I mean I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?"

Serah smiles, as she turns her head to look at the sunset. "Not at all. Don't worry. I could sit here for hours."

Serah and Vanille sits together, watching the sunset in silence, then Vanille spoke. "Hey Serah? Do you think we'll meet again?"

Serah looks down wondering the same, but answers anyways. "We might, sure."

Vanille stands up, stretches her arms in the air. "See. The thing is...I was chasing after someone. And there's something I really need to apologize for." Vanille looks down with doubt. "But I just...I can't ever find the words."

"Gee, that's gotta be tough, huh?" Serah asks.

"Yes..." Vanille looks up at the sky. "I even have nightmares about it."

Serah lets out a sigh. "Well, if it's too much to deal with, face it later."

Vanille looks back at Serah. "Really?"

Serah smiles with a laugh. "Sometimes things seem easier when you look at them from a distance, you know?"

"But, does that really work?" Vanille asks.

Serah tilts her head, wondering an answer. Instead, she stands up. "Good question. I'll let you know." Serah says. Serah starts walking to the waters. "Actually, I've been trying to keep something at a distance myself lately." Serah stops when she's at the very edge of the waters waving in.

"Like what?" Vanille asks.

"Don't laugh, okay? It's a dream I had. A bad one. I dreamt I destroyed the world." Vanille is suddenly worried hearing that. "It was terrifying. I needed some time alone. It had me so scared I tried to run away."

Serah kicks some water from the shore, then turns to face Vanille. "But then my boyfriend and my best friend. They came chasing after me. That's when I understood: Running away and leaving behind the people you care about. That's not love. Thought you might just want to keep them safe, shutting them out of your life only hurts them more."

Serah looks at Vanille with a smile. "The point is I have people to count on. I'll make it through."

"I think you'll be fine." Vanille says.

Serah nods. "And you will be too. You'll find the words." Serah reaches out a hand for Vanille. "I'm sure of it."

Vanille grabs Serahs hand with both of hers then nods.

[Flashback ends]

"You mean you met Serah?" Snow asks.

Vanille nods. "I tried to hide our Focus, and she ended up a l'Cie. I wanted to say I was sorry...but..."

"Well, when we rescue her, maybe you'll get the chance." Snow says.

Vanille nods. "Yeah."

Vanille curiously looks over Snow. Snow turns to see Vanilles looking at Hope, who's throwing up into the water.

"Poor kid." Snow whispers.

Hope finishes throwing up, when he does, I walk up to him with a pouch of water, offering it to him.

"Does Patrick know how Serah became a l'Cie?" Snow asks.

"I don't think so." Vanille says. "Maybe I'll tell him."

Hope finishes drinking, then I carry him in a piggy back position. "Come on, kid."

We continue down the Sulyya Springs. We had to leap from rock to rock to get around. I had to ride on Snowflake to pull that off with a kid riding on my back.

We fight our way through some aquatic creatures. Hope was able to hold on to me, so I can shoot at the creatures with my bow and arrows.

As we make our way through, we go into a tunnel. It's pretty clear from monsters. The passage is long. Even through he's not really walking, Hope's getting very tired.

The passage takes out to an open area. Lightning was the first to arrive. She looks up at Cocoon in the sky.

"Hey, Serah. What dreams are you having up there?" Lightning asks.

The rest of us catches up to Lightning. "Maybe we can rest for the night?" Sazh asks.

"I'm with Sazh." I look at Hope from behind me. "It looks like the kid needs some rest."

Lightning walks up beside Snowflake, checking on Hope. "Yeah, might be best." Lightning grabs Hope, gently, carefully, pulling him off the huge Chocobo. "Come on, easy."

Hope moans sickly as Lightning takes him off the chocobo, and carries him to the shade.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

We settle in for the night. The sun starts to set. Fang goes hunting for something to eat for the night, Sazh watches over Hope, Vanille and I goes to find some ingratiates for some Remedies to help Hope, while Lightning walks around to clear her mind, and Snow lately follows her.

The boy was doing fine, but no better then we was in the morning. I blame crash landing on that Juggernaut. Vanille and I arrive at a small plateau that's filled with bushes of fruits and herbs.

"Oh, this will do nicely." Vanille says.

"Let's get what we need and get back." I say. Vanille skips ahead. "Be careful, don't want you getting stuck in Quicksand."

Vanille just looks back at me and giggles, as if I was joking. Vanille went to pick the herbs while I take care of the fruits. I pick up some strange looking berries. I take a close look, was about to taste it until Vanille grabs my wrists and stops me.

"I won't eat that, unless you want to break down in hives." Vanille tells me.

I drop the berry from my hand then looked at Vanille. "Thanks for the warning."

After we gather our stuff, Vanille makes her leave. I stay behind and watched her, then I spoke. "Hey, was it true?"

Vanille froze hearing then, then looks back at me with confusion. "What was true?"

"Serah became a l'Cie because of you and Fang?" I say.

Vanille slightly gasped hearing that. She doesn't know how to feel. Guilty that she took away my best friend or surprised that I'm not mad at all, unlike Sazh was when he discovered the truth about his son Dajh.

Vanille looks down in shame. "Yeah..."

I walk up to Vanille, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't sweat it. These things happened." Vanille looks up, facing me. "Besides, everything's okay now that Serah completed her Focus."

Vanille smiles then gives a single nod. "You're right." I move on ahead, then stopped when Vanille speaks. "Hey...was Serah that special to you?"

I turn around, looking at Vanille. "Why'd you say that?"

"Well, you seem to be well fond and protective with Serah, like Lightning and Snow." Vanille says.

"Hmm..." I turn around, facing forward again. "Serah was my closest friend. My very first friend at that." Vanille is surprised to hear that. "Back in Bodhum, I couldn't make any friends. People just judge me immediately. Too harshly. Thinking I'm a monster, an idiot, a dork, other bad stuff." I turn back, facing Vanille again. "People never get to know me personally, as if they think it'll be the end of the world if they ever do."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Vanille says.

"Yeah. But Serah...she was different." I look up at Cocoon in the sky. "When she found me in the ally, all lost, sad, hurt, cold even...She didn't leave me to rot. She treated me with such kindness and caring. After a while, we understood each other. Became friends even."

"That's real nice." Vanille says.

"Whatever. Who would be friends with a Mercenary and a l'Cie now?" I say, kicking some dirt.

"I will." Vanille says with a small cheer.

I looked surprised at Vanille. "You messing with me?"

Vanille shook her head. "You seem like a fine man. Besides, you've saved my life many times. Who am I to complain?"

I give a single chuckle. I walk up to Vanille and ruffled her head, making the girl giggle. "Your cute, kid."

Me and Vanille head back to camp. Once we are, we find Fang making dinner and Hope doing okay. Vanille gets started on making some remedies for the boy.

* * *

Snow is standing on the edge of the cliff, watching the holding the crystal tear towards Cocoon as large dandelion wads flews in the wind. Lightning walks up to Snow from behind.

"How's Serah?" She asks.

"Same as we left her." Snow answered.

One of the dandelion wads falls close to Lightning. She lets it rest on her hand, looking at it, then the wind blows it away, breaking into pieces.

"Feels so far away now." Snow says. "Serah says she wants to talk." Snow hands Lightning the crystal tear. Lightning holds the tear directly at Cocoon, gazing upon it. "She's probably prefer if you skipped the lectures."

Lightning takes out her Gunblade, striking Snow, nearly hitting him and causing him to fall back on the ground. "Once we're home, what's your plan? You're getting married, right?" Lightning asks.

"What's that?" Snow asks.

Lightning puts away her weapon. "Serah wants to know."

"Don't scare me like that." Snow says.

Lightning looks down at the crystal, then turns facing Snow, not taking her eyes off the tear. "You are getting married, aren't you? Don't you let her down, you hear me?"

Lightning tosses the tear in the air for Snow to catch. Snow stands up. "Don't worry. This tear will be her last. I'll make sure of that."

"That's all I need to know." Lightning says.

Lighting walks past Snow. "We'll see her, right?"

Lightning fist bumps Snow on his back. "Don't go there. No room for doubt. We'll see her again. And soon, you convinced me of that. So stay strong."

"Don't worry...we'll finish this, and go see her together." Snow says.

Lightning nods. She walks away, stops about ten feet away, then looks back at Snow. "Serah also wants to know, are you gonna stop giving Patrick those Big Sister's Complex magazines?"

Snow turns, looking at Lightning. "She knows? How?"

"She's looking at us while in Crystal slumber, you knucklehead!" Lightning says. "Patrick talked about it back in Twilight Forest, and she saw it." Snow was pretty silent, it is that obvious. "Are you gonna stop? Cause Serah's not too happy hearing you've been giving him those."

"I get it. I'll stop." Snow says.

"You better, for their sake." Lightning turns and continues moving on.

**EXTRA SCENE**

* * *

Lightning and Snow returns to the campsite, just in time for dinner. Fang had made her Wilderness Gumbo. I was a bit excited she did, even since Vanille suggested I should try it on the first night of Pulse. I'll admit, it's pretty good.

Lightning grabs an extra bowl of the gumbo. She walks up to Hope and hands it to him. "Here. Feeling any better?"

"Only a little." Hope says with a cough.

Lighting ruffles the boy and offers a small smile. "Well, hang on. You'll be okay."

Hope nods and smiles back, then Lightning returns to the group. After eating, Fang stands up. "All right. So who's gonna take first watch?"

"I will. I'm not gonna fall asleep anytime soon." I say.

"I'm with Patrick on that, I'll take second." Lightning says.

We all discuss the shifts. I'm taking first watch, Lightning second, Fang third, Sazh fourth and Snow last. Vanille decided to keep watch on Hope. While everyone goes to sleep, I take my place in keeping watch. After half an hour of no monsters showing up, I gaze up at Cocoon in the sky, wondering and thinking.

This world is completely different then Cocoon. Oh how I wish Serah would come and see this world. What would she think? What would my mother think? I still wonder what my mother thinks of the kind of person I've turned into. A Mercenary l'Cie.

After my shift, I went to go get Lightning, who's beside Hope and the sleeping Vanille. I didn't so much have to go get her, cause she saw me leaving then takes over my shift.

I look at Hope and Vanille as I walk by. They're sleeping together. I'll admit, it's cute. Can't imagine what the others would think, especially Fang.

I lay down on Snowflake, getting comfort so I could fall asleep. I eventually do. It's nice to finally get some sleep. Guess what Lightning said to me the other night really lifted some weight off of my shoulders.

During her shift, Lightning watches Hope, making sure the kid's save. Even through he has Vanille with him, she's still worried. Lightning sighs, crosses her arms, then looks up at Cocoon in the sky, thinking about her little sister.

Lightning's shift past by, and she went to go get Fang. "Hey, Fang. It's your turn now."

Fang sits up, stretching her arms open. "Thanks for the wake up call." Fang stands up, making her way to her guarding post.

Lightning decided to come join me resting on a Chocobos furry body. Lightning looks down, noticing I'm soundly asleep. "Hmm. Nice for you to get some sleep from the start." Lightning lies down, back to back from me and attempts to fall asleep.

Fang spends her night, watching Vanille like a hawk. Of course from the start, she's quite shocked to see Vanille laying with the sickly Hope. She doesn't know wither to feel happy or worried for Vanille. I won't blame her, I know I'd feel the same if it were Serah. I'm sure Lightning and Snow would agree.

Fang's shift has come to an end, so Fang moves to Sazh. "Wake up, old man."

Sazh just grumbles. He turns placing a hand on Fang's face, pushing and pressing as if she's some alarm clock and he's trying to hit the snooze button. Fang gets frustrated then kicks Sazh off the log.

"Ow!" Sazh stands up, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "All right, all right! I'm up! I'm up!"

Sazh curses about Fang under his breath as he makes his way to his post. Fang was finally able to fall asleep once again. Instead of keeping watch, Sazh spends his night talking to his little chocobo. If I were awake to see this, I'd slap him into yesterday. Which is odd cause I should be doing that to Snow for not keeping watch.

After Sazh's shift, he goes for Snow. "Come on, hero. I'm tired!" Snow just mumbles and shifts. Sazh can tell he's not gonna get Villiers up anytime soon. Sazh comes to me. "Hey, Mercenary boy." I wake up, seeing Sazh. "I can't wake up Snow."

I sigh tiresome and sit up. "I'm on it." I make my way to Snow. I grab Snow by his feet and start dragging him into the Sulyya Springs, with Sazh following me. I toss Snow into the boiling waters. As soon as he falls in, Snow bursts out of the water, screaming in agony.

I take two steps back, seeing where Snow's gonna fall. He crashes right in front of me, all soaked and red. Snow looks up at me. "What did you do that for?" Snow asks.

"It's your shift." I say, walking away.

"You know, a simple 'Snow wake up' would have sufficed!" Snow says.

"Yeah. It really isn't!" I shout, not even looking back or stopping.

"He ain't wrong." Sazh says, shrugging his shoulders.

Snow gets up then he and Sazh makes their way back to camp. I want back to my chocobo. To my surprise, I found Lightning sleep, facing away from me, how I was sleeping that is.

I look at the girl with confusion, was about to ask myself what she's doing here, but I just shrug my shoulders and lay back down, going back to sleep.

Snow takes his shift. During the time, he looks at the crystal tear, talking to Serah. Doesn't this doofus have anything else better to do? Dawn seeps into the skies. Snow can see the pretty colors of red, orange and night blue in the sky. He wishes nothing more then for Serah to be here to see it.

Lightning was the first to awake. She sits up, stretching her arms in the air, then stands up. Lightning looks around to see everyone else is asleep, except for Snow who's still on watch.

Lightning walks up to Hope, when he becomes in her sight of vision. She kneels in front of him, putting a head on his head feeling his temperature. He feels a little warm, but Lightning figured that's normal.

Hope moans when Lightning feels him, then wakes up. "Light?"

Lightning smiles a little. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Lighting backs up a little as Hope sits up and stretches. "I feel better. I think I got over the sickness."

"That's good." Lightning says.

Hope is about to get up, but he suddenly feels something that's preventing him. He turns to see Vanille laying beside him, her head on his shoulder, arms wrapped around him. Hope seems surprised. He looks at Lightning with a nervous chuckle, he's pretty embarrassed.

"Uh...how did this happen?" Hope says innocently.

Lightning chuckles, then ruffles the boys hair. "You're cute, kid."

Lightning stands up, makes her leave. Hope feels pathetic being called cute, even from Lightning. I approach to Hope, seeing the kid being hugged by Vanille. Hope looks at me all nervous and embarrassed.

I put the pieces together. "The girl grabbed you in her sleep?"

"Uh...sure I guess." Hope says.

"I'm not surprised. Happened to me the other night." I say.

I move to Vanilles side, I start shaking her awake."Vanille...Hey! Vanille!"

Vanille moans in her sleep. Her arm reaches out to me, pushing at my face. She tries to push my face, like I'm some alarm cloak and the snooze button is on my face. I shove her arm away, then put a finger in my mouth then into her ear, giving her a wet willy. Vanille awakes with irritation from the wet willy. I step back just as she slams a hand on her ear. She's awake.

Vanille looks at me. "What was that for?"

"If I was Hope, I'd say 'don't push it'." I say.

Vanille was confused at first, but then notices she's holding on to Hope. To her embarrassment, she darts her arms away and giggles with an innocent smile. "Sorry."

Vanille stands up and skips off. I watch the girl leave, then I look back at Hope, offering him a hand. "I see you're doing well."

Hope accepts my hand and I pull him onto his feet. "Yeah, thanks to you guys."

I smile a little and nod. We wait for the rest of the group to wake up, then we quickly moved on.

* * *

We all walk down the trench ahead. So far, there are no enemies...for a long distance even. Now we're suddenly feeling very stupid making a keep watch post. As we go further, the land becomes dry and rugged. Are we entering some canyon? Of course, my question soonly becomes answered when we arrive at a cliff.

In front of us is a large tower...that's pretty much destroyed. Taejin's Tower. "We get through there, and we'll be in Oerba." Vanille says, pointing at the tower.

"You're almost home." Snow says.

I shield my eyes from the sunrise, getting a high view of the fallen tower. "That'll be quite a climb. I'm gonna need a garbling hook and a lot of rope." Vanille just laughs at my comment, assuming it's a joke.

"Doesn't exactly look like it's gonna be a leisurely stroll." Sazh says.

"Knowing Pulse, it won't be." I say.

Suddenly, the giant fal'Cie, Dahaka, flies by close. We were all startled by it, expect for Lightning. The fal'Cie flies towards the tower.

"What...was that?" I asked, pretty shocked and surprised.

"A fal'Cie!" Vanille says.

"Oh, so we just head through this fal'Cie's lair to get to Oerba, right?" Hope says, not to pleased.

"What's another fal'Cie at this point, huh?" Lightning asks.

Dahaka destroys all the Wyvern's flying around the tower. "I don't like the looks of that." Vanille says.

"Ditto." I say.

We move on to the side, finding a way to enter the tower. We eventually find a large double door that's guarded by two statues of the Menhirrim. We take the passage, though I have a bad feeling about it.

The hallway is pretty strange. I honestly have no words about it. We walk through the hallway, on our guard. There are no enemies so far, it's quiet...too quiet. Finally, we arrived at a widen open area. We all walk around, taking in our surroundings. Vanille just stops.

Snowflake stops, raising her head high and chirping in curiosity. I stopped. "What is it, girl?" I asked Snowflake.

She looks around, listening closely. "I'm not the only one hearing that, am I?"

I look around. "No...I'm hearing it too."

Sazh looks at the statues surrounding in the middle. "It couldn't be them. Could it?"

I look at Sazh. "Since when do statues make noise?" I asked.

Hope looks at me. "I don't know. It's weird, like voices in my head."

"I hear it." Fang says, then translates. "'Your presence here draws the tyrant's gaze. Leave this place at once.'"

"We can't leave, this is the only way for us to get through." Vanille begs at one of the statues. "Please. Help us."

I slowly shook my head. The girl is just embarrassing myself. That's Vanille for yea. Then we hear the noise again. Doesn't sound threatening, must be something good.

"'As you wish. Look for us, and the way will open.'" Fang translates.

The statue shifts it's position. It plants its weapon in the ground, next thing that happens, the walls starts spinning. We were pretty surprised to see this. What catches our attention at the large line of musical notes connected. I seem confused at it, then a large barrel connected to it rolls down.

I soon realizes what it is. "An elevator!"

Everyone else looks at it. "That was easy enough." Snow says.

"You never know. Could be a trap." Hope says.

"Could be. Don't see no stairs, though. Do you?" Sazh says.

"Well, there's no other choice then." I say, me and Snowflake walking onto the elevator. "Stay on guard." We all board on the elevator. Once we're all in, Lighting pulls on the lever. The door closes and the elevator takes us to the second floor. While it's moving, music plays. Sounds like wind chimes. It's very soothing.

The elevator stops on the second floor and the door opens. We all walk out of it. I look at the elevator path. I can see it's as far as it goes. I guess we have to somehow reconnect the path, much like it did on the ground level. We walk down the hallway, until we feel a deep rumble. "What's that?" Then the fal'Cie raises up.

"Our little friend." I say.

Dahaka flies around then stops, facing us. "Waiting for us, huh?" Lightning says. The fal'Cie flies around again, then shoots a laser at us from it's tail. "Get back!"

We all get out of the way. The blast hits the wall, but also destroys our path. Lightning looks at the hole in the wall, to see it's leading to another room. "What's this? Some kind of trap?"

We hesitated, but we all walk in with cautious. There, we were greeted by a Menhirrim statue. Its voice speaks in our heads, it gives us the l'Cie mission to find and kill an enemy known as Gelatitan.

I was disappointed when the statue describe the creatures form to be a flan blob. "Ugh! Those things again? I hate them!"

"Well deal with it, honey." Fang says.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" I snapped at Fang.

"Let's just do it. Maybe the mission will help us get to Oerba." Hope says.

"I'm with the kid." Snow says.

We all take the stairs at the end of the room, which leads us to the upper hallway into another room. Down there, we see the Gelatitan the Menhirrim talked about.

Lightning and the others, including Snowflake, rushed in and faced the blob, while I just stay out of it. I'm surprised to see that the chocobo has learned how to fight, even if it's just peaking at the enemy.

The Gelatitan falls, wasn't an easy fight for them, but it was pretty tough. The group even had to do different roles. Hope on strengthing, Vanille on healing, Fang on weakening the blobs defenses and Snow on tanking.

After the Gelatitan's defeat, we all approach on the next Menhirrim statue beside the monster. The statue gives us our next mission, to take down a inferinal machine known as Ambling Bellows.

We accepted the mission. From there, we pretty much went back to the first statue, then went down the hallway right beside it. In the room ahead, we found our objective, along with two Cryptos beside it.

"This oughta be fun." Fang says, cracking her knuckles.

I agreed. We all fight against the machines. They were very tough, really gave us quite a pounding, even to Snow and Fang in Sentinel.

I had to shift into Saboteur, weaken their defenses with Deprotectga and Deshellga. Sazh shifted into Syngerist, casting bravery on us attackers and Faith on the casters. Both Vanille and Hope shifted into Medic and heal our wounds.

Me and Sazh shifted back into Commando and start shooting at the enemies. After a while, they fall.

We approach at the next statue at the corner of the room. It wants us to find and kill a Gurangatch. We accepted it, then moved on. Expect me for, I stay back and watch the others as they move on.

"Does anyone else find this pointless?" I asked. "How are doing these missions gonna help us get through to this tower."

Fang stops and looks back at me. "You got any other bright ideas?"

I hesitated, sighed then follow the rest of the group. "Afraid not." We all walk back down the hallway we entered. In the previous room, we found out little armadillo friend.

Personally, I find them a bit annoying too, until we crack open their armor where they've become at their weakest point. Everyone but me and Fang shifted into Ravager, and attack the monster with their magic, or element strikes.

Me and Fang stand back, waiting for our turn to take the stage. I envy that we don't have Ravager roles. Finally, the armor shatters from the magic, then everyone but Hope and Vanille shifts back into Commando, then me and Fang joined in and we all beat the hell out of the Gueangatch.

The creature dies wither quickly. Ha, no wonder they need the armor. They're an easy kill. Once that was done, the three Menhirrim statues raise their stoned weapons and hold them head high in front of them.

We all went back out to the outer hallway, where we're greeted by our little fal'Cie friend. "Great. Here we go again!" Fang says, taking our her lance.

"Can't take a hint." Snow says.

"You're the one to talk." Lightning says.

Just then, the three Menhirrim statues appears in midair. They all attack Dahaka. Two of them charged while the third one makes a cut beam, cutting off part of the fal'Cies tail.

Sazh cheers at the amusement. "I'll be damned!"

The fal'Cie flees into higher ground. The three Menhirrim statues lower their weapons and looks at us, chanting. Vanille seems a bit off. "Are they sad?" Vanille asks.

"Hard to tell." I say, wondering.

The statues vanishes. Just then, the upper walls starts turning. The walls turn until the elevator passages are connected. "Well, I guess the way is open now." Lightning says.

We all return to the elevator, then we ride it up to the fourth floor. The fourth floor wasn't much, just a small hallway leading down to only one room. The room is only having an elevator. There's no way else to get through, so we take it. The elevator takes us to the fifth floor.

We get off the elevator and approach the next Menhirrim statue. The statue is giving us a mission to find and kill a Mushssu in this very room. How nice. We accepted the mission and take on the Muchussu and his two Yakshini companions. We take on the Muchussu, of course the fight gets difficult when the Yakshini's starts buffing it and themselves. Me and Vanille shifts into Saboteur and repeatly cast Dispell on them, removing their buffs.

Everyone else fights the monsters. When the Yakshini's falls, me and Vanile shift back into Commander and Ravager, then we all take down the Muchussu. The Muchussu falls and we completed the mission. After that, we get back on that elevator and return to the fourth floor.

On the fourth floor, we leave the room and run down the hallway, to the third elevator on the other side of the tower floor. We all board the elevator and it takes us to the sixth floor. Right next to the elevator, is a Menhirrim statue.

The statue gives us a mission to find a kill a Vetala on the fifth floor.

"I feel like we're going on circles." I say.

The one statue turns its sword and plants it in the ground in front of it. The walls spins around until the path of the main elevator connects. "It's more like the walls are going in circles." Sazh says.

The old man ain't wrong. We all leave the room and head for the new room. Apparently the spinning walls opened up a passage to a hidden room. Anyways, we enter the room then we take the stairs, leading us to the room below where we find our objective Cie'th.

This one is a floating monster with an Inertial Barrier on it. That doesn't look good. Lightning, Snow and Sazh shifts into Ravager and we all give the monster a taste of spell casting, Fang's and my Ruin's. The barrier makes Vetala immune to physical attacks, which makes Snowflake useless to fight. We all strike at the monster. The barrier weakens, once that's done, Me, Sazh and Hope shifts into Synergist, blessing the group with our buffs.

By the time we're done, the barrier shatters, and we all shift into Commando, expect for Vanille and Hope of course, then we beat the hell out of that monster. Vetala does Multcast, where it repeatly casts Blizzara, then Ruin, then Thundara on Hope and Fang.

The Cie'th dies, then we all run down the hallway. In the next room is the Menhirrim statue with a large Centurion. Me, Snow and Vanille take on the Centurion while everyone else talks to the statue.

Apparently, it wants us to kill the Penanggalan on the sixth floor. Seriously? We have to go back to the sixth floor? I feel like we really are going on circles! When they're done with the statue, the group joins us for the fight, only to see the monster is dead.

"What? No fun for the rest of us?" Fang asks.

"Hey, I missed some fun when I was trying to find Lightning before we became l'Cie." I look at Lightning afterwards. "So I guess we're even."

Lightning just rolls her eyes, crosses her arms and sighs. She doesn't really care. So we run back the hallway, up the stairs, out of the room, blah, blah, blah. Nothing much happening, just running around in circles doing these silly missions. So we went back to the room where we met that Menhirrim that gave us the mission to kill the Vetala. There, we found our Penanggalan.

Our little friend isn't alone, he has a ton of Chonchon's with it. Lightning and Fang gives the Chochon's a taste of Blitz while the rest of us focus on the Penanggalan. Even Snowflake attacks the ugly bat. When the girls are done with the Chonchon's, they help us finish the Penanggalan. The creature casts Deprotectga on us. Snow and Vanille were the only ones that were unaffected, while the rest of us lose our defenses.

We didn't bother to cure ourselves, we just focus on killing the monster, and we did. Once the mission was complete, the three Menhirrim statues holds their weapons up and in front of them.

We leave the room and walk down the hallway, making our way to the elevator. Of course when we do, the fal'Cie dives in, flies close to us. We nearly staggered from the wind force from it's wake. Dahaka floats in front of us.

"Pick on something your own size!" Sazh yells at it!

We were about to attack, but the three Menhirrim's appears right in between us and the fal'Cie. The statues attacks the monster. Dakaha strikes at two of them, knocking them into the wall. They shortly vanished afterwards. The last Menhirrim does a cut beam, slashing off the rest of Dakaha's tail.

The fal'Cie doesn't really like it, and it flies up. "They saved us again." Hope says.

"Well, we did them a favor, now they're doing us one." I say.

The Menhirrim statue flies in front of us, chanting. Vanille seems to understand what it's saying. "You want to help us?"

The statue does nothing for a moment, then it turns and faces the elevator. The upper walls starts spinning, until the passage of the elevator connects, then the Menirrim disappears.

"He's gone." Vanille says.

"Let's just count our blessings. The way's clear." Snow says.

We board the elevator, and it takes up to the Apex, the very top floor of the tower. When the elevator stops, we all get off. It's quite a view up here. I wonder if we'll spot Oerba from here. We all walk towards the center of the Apex. We were pretty cautious.

"Why do I get the feeling something bad's about to happen?" Hope asks.

"You're not the only one, kid." Fang says.

I raise a hand. "Shh, listen." We all stop, listening closely.

All we hear is the sound of the wind. "I don't hear anything." Snow whispers.

"Snow, be quiet!" I demanded.

We all remain silent. Lightning and Fang are on the alert of the silence. Even Snowflake is alarmed. The chocobo kweh's and looks at a distance. Pretty soon, they hear it. "I hear it too." Lightning takes out her Gunblade. "We're not alone."

Fang takes out her lance and I take out my bow, with a loaded arrow. The three of us are looking around, being aware of our surroundings. Everyone else is looking around as well, but not prepared to strike like the three of us.

"Hey, look!" We look at where Snow's facing, to find Dakaha flying in. The fal'Cie floats right in front of us.

"It's acting strange." Lightning points out.

"He must be weak from losing his tail." Fang says.

Dahaka charges up in electricity, then the fal'Cie shifts and transforms. That doesn't look good. "Yeah? Looks plenty feisty to me." Snow says.

"He ain't lying." I added.

"He's bluffing to scare us off. Let's just go with that, all right?" Hope says. "Come on! We can do this!"

"I agree with Hope. I'm tired of this game it's playing!" I walk in front of the group, shouting at the fal'Cie. "Hey! You want us! Come and get us you coward!"

Dahaka roars and then attacks us. Sazh and I shifts into Synergists, casting our spells on everyone. Vanille and Fang shifts into Saboteur, weakening the fal'Cies defenses. Hope is in Medic, healing us while Snow's in Sentinel, defending us from the fal'Cie. Leaving Lightning to be the only one attacking.

Dahaka casts Fira at Snow. Once everything's done, me and Fang shifts into Commando while everyone else is in Ravager. We all attack the fal'Cie. Dahaka casts Thundara, striking me, Sazh and Vanille with electricity. I was targeted and Sazh and Vanille happens to be right beside me.

The battle goes on. Vanille casts Firaga, Blizzarga and Waterga at the fal'Cie. Lightning, Snow and Sazh shifts into Commando and attacks Dahaka. Dahaka casts Watera on Fang, then the fal'Cie swipes at us. Vanille shifts into Medic and heals our wounds. This fal'Cie is tough.

Hope casts his special ability, Last Resort. Hope casts six orbs of light,, gathering around in a circle in the sky, then they rain down on the fal'Cie in a missive holy explosion. That's very impressive, and I thought taming Alexander showed how tough the kid is. Snow does his special ability, Sovereign Fist. Snow jumps high above the fal'Cie and slams his fist on it in a dymanticpunch.

Dakaha casts Faith on itself, then does Foul Utterance on me. Casts a dark bolt, poisoning me and affecting me with Deprotect and Deshell. Or in this case, just dispelling my Protect and Shell. Hope casts Thunderga and Aeroga at Dakaha. Sazh and I shoots at the fal'Cie. Dakaha does Fulminous Firestorm. Channels burning energy. Fang shifts into Sentinel and does Widen Guard. Dakaha unleashes a massive burning nova all over the area.

Vanille and Hope shifts into Medic and they heal us with Curagas. Fang shifts back in Commander and attacks the fal'Cie. Dakaha casts Watera at Sazh. Vanille and Hope both shift back into Ravager and cast their offensive magic at Dakaha.

Dahaka roars in agony then vanishes. It's been destroyed. Ha, I guess you really can kill a fal'Cie. We all look around, being aware of our surroundings. We want to make sure we have our victory.

Instead, a traveling pod arrives at the end of the tower, then a Menhirrim appears in the air in front of us. "Look who's back." Snow says.

The statue chants at us. Vanille just giggles. "He's saying thanks."

"'At last, we are free.'" Fang's tone sounds a bit unsure. "'We go now, to hunt down evil where it hides.'"

"So I guess that means there are still more monsters like that one out there." Hope says.

"I know there's one with us." I say, shoving Snow in front of us. "There's your monster, hunt him!"

Everyone looks at me with disapproval. But they all drop it when the Menhirrim disappears. "Gone just like that. For a big hunk of rock, that thing sure can move!" Sazh says.

"Guess they're just doing what they can too. Trying to 'save the world'." Fang says.

"Yeah, well, it's not all of them. Last time I checked, we are still in this fight." Lightning says.

"Lightning's right. We're cursed l'Cie, and we're in this fight until the end." I say.

Sazh and Hope heads towards the edge of the roof of the tower. "Oerba's right down there, isn't it?" Hope asks.

Vanille nods. "Yep."

"So what's it like?" Snow asks.

"Um...well, it's kind of small. But it's warm and green and very naturey." Vanille says.

"I'm not surprised." I say, walking to the edge.

"Around the fal'Cie, it was flowers as far as you could see, huh?" Fang says.

Sazh takes a look at the view, as do I. Only I'm using some binoculars to get a closer look. "View from here ain't so rosy, I'm sorry to say." Sazh says.

Vanille seems a bit disappointed. "What?"

"Sazh ain't wrong." I turn and toss the binoculars at Fang. "Take a look." Fang walks up to the edge. "Right over there."

Fang uses the binoculars, taking a look at Obera from the distance. "You want to wait here?" Lightning asks Vanille.

Vanille shook her head. "No. I need to see for myself."

Vanille joins us at the edge for the view. So far, it's nothing but a deserted land. Fang lowers the binoculars, a bit shocked. "It's all gone...every trace of color." Fang says. Fang tosses the binoculars on the ground in frustration. "We're chasing shadows! This whole idea of losing our brands is hopeless!"

"There's gotta be away." Snow says.

"Let's keep on looking. That's what we came here for." Hope says. "We all agreed, and now we're here."

"You think...you think it's really possible?" Vanille asks.

"It is. Just because something looks empty doesn't mean there's nothing in it." Me and Snowflake walks towards the traveling pod. "I'd say we go and take a look."

Everyone else joins me on this. Fang is a little late. She just stays behind, looking at the view, still in shock at what's happened to Oerba, then joins us just when we're all in the traveling pod.

Once Fang is in, the traveling pod closes and when it rides down the tower. In about ten minutes, the pod stops on the outskirts of Oerba. The door opens and we all get off.

The land is pretty snowy. We find a path and take it. In almost no time, we arrived in Oerba. The town is deserted and abandoned. I wouldn't blame Vanille and Fang for being so upset about seeing their home like this. Especially after hundreds of years.

We walk around town, until we're in the middle of it. "Which is your house?" Hope asks.

"What do you mean which is ours? All of them. They're all ours." Vanille says.

"Yep. Everyone in the village lived together." Fang says.

"One big happy family?" Snow asks.

"One hack of a lot of places to hang your hat." Sazh says.

I take my hat off and slap Sazh in back of the head with it. "I resent that." I say, putting my hat back on.

"So, you want to take a look around?" Hope asks.

"We better. Got to find something to help us lose these brands." Fang says.

"That's not the only reason we're here. You're finally home. Make the most of it." Sazh says.

"Well I'd say we split up." I say.

We all go into different directions. Searching all over Oerba For any clues or hints about bring free from this l'Cie curse.

The environment of Oerba...it's not that different from Cocoon. I still wonder why on earth people would call Pulse hell. After half an hour of searching, there's no luck in finding anything helpful with our situation. It's like we really are chasing nothing but shadows.

We find a large highway that's just above the forsaken town. The highway is just as destroyed and deserted as the rest of the town.

We are not too sure if it'll be any help, but we're out of options, so we go ahead and take the path. The passage on the highway, it's nearly blocked and it's crawling with Cie'th monsters. Just what we needed. And I thought things were getting to be too easy.

We all fight our way through the Cie'th monsters. Even Snowflake gave us a hand with the battles. The Cie'th from here are pretty strange. One of them is just a living arm. I don't know about everyone else, but that is just disturbing on so many levels.

Halfway through the highway, we see that there's a small passage, where the rest of it around that small path is destroyed. So much destruction. No accident could have caused this. It would take some powerful force to have caused this. Ragnarok.

We arrive at the near end of the highway. Serahs voice calls out to us.

"Ragnarok. Come day of wrath, oh Pulse l'Cie." We are all a bit startled. We looked around, wondering where it's coming from."Embrace thy fate, thine home to burn." The voice sounds very familiar. We believe it's Serahs, but she can't possibly be here, could she? "That fallen souls might bear our plea...to hasten the divines return." We can't find the source of Serah's voice. Snowflake looks ahead, khewing in surprised. "Oh piteous wonder. Ragnarok." We all look ahead cause of the chocobo. Serah is there, walking forward towards us. "Make of this day a brave epoch. Deliver the divine." Me, Lightning and Snow couldn't help but feel surprised. "Ragnarok."

Lightning whispers a 'what', I remain speechless. Snow however speaks, probably for the three of us. "Serah...how did you..."

Serah gives a small nod and smiles. "I was waiting. For you to open your eyes."

Snow's speechless. He walks up to her while Serah runs to his arms and they hugged. I lean my head close to Lightning.

"How is this...is she really-"

Lightning slowly shook her head. "I don't...know."

"All the time I was asleep, I knew what was happening." Serah says. "I kept trying to think of a way to save Cocoon...together."

Snow looks down at Serah, with concerned doubt. "Serah..."

Snow moves his hands onto her shoulders, then shoves her away. Normally, I would be mad at Villiers at him for that, but I have this strange feeling it's really a trick.

Serah looks back at all of us. "You get it now. There are no gods with miracles to save us, no matter where you look." Serah walks around us, we just kept looking at her. Hope, Vanille, Fang and Sazh were pretty curious. "That's why we have to call one."

I looked pretty confused hearing that. "Serah...what are you saying?"

Serah smirks, slightly evilly, but hides it when she faces us. "Destroy Orphan. We'll save the world."

Lightning couldn't believe what she heard. "Stop it!" Lightning nearly gets a hold of her weapon, prepared to pull it out of its holster.

"You can't do that. You love me too much." Serah says. After what Lightning said back on her birthday, I wouldn't be surprised. "You do...don't you, Claire?"

All of us, expect for Snow, looks at Lightning with confusion. "Claire?" I asked.

Lightning doesn't react to me questioning her name. We all returned to Serah when Snow speaks. "Enough already." Serah chuckles silently. "Listen up. We're all shooting for the same goal here."

Serah glows very brightly. Powerful magic is forming all around here. We all looked away and resist the force blowing at us. When it ends, Serah is gone, and Barthandelus is taking her please.

"And the result of that is this." Barthandelus says.

We all look at the fal'Cie with disapproval, even if he is in human form. "I knew it, a fake." I say.

Snow is unleashing some steam. He charges at Barthandelus. "You son of a-" Snow strikes, but Barthandelus vanishes and appears a few feet away from Snow.

Snow charges again. Only when he strikes, Barthandelus's barrier knocks him away, back at us. Snow stands up. "You never learn, do you Villiers?" I asked.

"You betray your fal'Cie to chase after dreams and shadows. The world you claim to wish to protect is now faces the end of days with no hope of salvation." Barthandelus says.

"I didn't think fal'Cie had the means." Lightning says.

"Oh, it won't be fal'Cie who destroys her." Barthandelus says. "For centuries now, Cocoon had provided generously for its human inhabitants every want and need. Coddled them, one might even say. The result being their deep-seated fear and hatred of change and all things alien. Fed, nurtured and ready to detonate at the slightest spark. The seeds of destruction take root, even now."

Lightning takes out her weapon, ready to strike at Barthandelus. "What did you do to Cocoon?"

"I resigned, appointing Raines as Primarch in my stand." Barthandelus says.

Snow and I seems surprised hearing that. "Raines? He's alive?" Snow asks.

"That's not possible." I say.

Barthandelus chuckles. "The puppet is restrung to serve my needs, yes. It's eyes had long since turned to glass." Fang and Vanille doesn't seem to pleased to hear that. "Of course, the Cavalry's eyes will see our friend as nothing more then a traitor to their cause. They'll say the fal'Cie got to him too, or some such drivel. And imagine when I spread word that it's Orphan tugging at his strings...what happens next?"

"You're gonna use the Cavalry to take the thing out?" Sazh asks.

I'm in shock hearing that, why didn't I realize that? "Perhaps. Or perhaps I'll feign the howling of Pulsian wolves and let the fear-addled sheep slaughter themselves first. Either way, the end is at hand."

Barthandelus laughs. All of us are pretty speechless, but also disapproved at the fal'Cies little plan. "But what of yourselves? Will you enjoy the festivities beside me? Or perhaps."

Barthandelus becomes coated with magic, raises in the air with his staff hold up high. The fal'Cie bird, Menrva, flies to the top of the staff, and they both merge into the monstrous fal'Cie form.

"Greet the end here, in the land where it all began!"

We all prepare ourselves for battle. Me and Sazh shift into Synergist, dealing with the buffs. Vanille and Fang shifted into Saboteur, weakening Barthandelus's defenses. Snow shifted into Sentinel, taking the laser attacks, while Lightning and Hope at attacking in Commando and Ravager.

Barthandelus casts Poisonga at us. Hope, Fang and I became poisoned. Hope shifted into Medic and cure us. Fang and Vanille shifts into Commander/Ravager. Fang attacks Barthandelus and Vanille does her Aeroga and Firaga spells. Hope shifted into Synergist, to help me and Sazh with the buffs.

Snow shifted into Ravager, doing his Froststrikes. The lasers starts firing at random targets now. I shift into Commando and start shooting at Barthandelus. Barthandelus casts Cursega, affecting only Lightning and Sazh. "Complete your Focus, and save your precious selves."

I crack my neck. "In your dreams, fal'Cie!" Sazh and Hope shifted into Ravager, casting offensive magic at Barthandelus. We are going offensive. Overtime, Vanille shifts into Medic, casting Curaga on us cause of those lasers. The battle goes on. Barthandelus casts Dazega. Everyone but Vanille and Snow was affected. The daze affect did wore off when the lasers hit us. We did suffer the twice damage while under the affect. That's a stinger.

When Hope was free from Daze, he shifted into Medic and heal us with Curaga. Trust me, we lost a lot of health from the double damage. During that, Barthandelus does Apoptosis, unleashing a massive energy nova. The blast dispels all of our buffs and removes the debuffs from Barthandelus.

We all go back to square one, weakening the fal'Cie, strengthening us. During that, Barthandelus casts Poisonga. We return to our offensive roles and attack the fal'Cie. Barthandelus does Thanatosian Laughter. "You struggle with pain!" Barthandelus's face opens up, then rapidly fires hundreds of lasers at us. That again, it's quite painful.

Vanille shifts into Medic, healing our wounds from that painful ability. Hope casts Blizzarga and Waterga. Sazh and i shoot at the fal'Cie. Fang and Lightning and Snow attacks. Vanille shifts back into Ravager and casts Waterga. Barthandelus casts Cursega then Dazega. Cursega affects me, Fang and Sazh, Dazega did everyone but Hope.

The lasers knocks us out of our Daze, but for what? More damage taken. Snow shifts into Sentinel, taking the laser hits. Lightning shifts into Medic, casting Cura on us, then shifts back into Commando. Barthandelus does Apoptosis. That time, we didn't bother with our buffs. Me, Fang and Vanille shifts into Saboteur, weakening the fal'Cies defenses once again, then shift back into our previous roles and attack.

The battle goes on. Finally, the fal'Cie falls and vanishes. We all take the moment to see if he's really defeated, but we're wrong. Barthandelus reappears in his human form.

"The time has come." Barthandelus says. We all arm ourselves, ready to attack the fal'Cie. Barthandelus just chuckles. "Allow me to extend my invitation." Barthandelus raises his staff. "To save the people beyond salvation. There is only Ragnarok."

Barthandelus taps his staff on the ground, and Menrva appears. Menrva flies high in the air and transforms into the large airship. The airship lands right on the very edge of the end of the breach. We all look at the fal'Cie, then back at Barthandelus.

"Cocoon suffers. Release her from the pain." Barthandelus vanishes. We all just watch the fal'Cie disappear, wondering what he could have meant. When he vanishes, a Cie'th stone floats from the ground.

"So, this is the end of the rainbow, huh?" Sazh asks. "Here's hoping the pot's full of tips on dealing with crackpot fal'Cie."

We all approach to the fal'Cie stone. "You know, I don't remember this being here before. I guess it's new, huh?" Fang says.

"Yeah, must be. I suppose it might be a record of what happened?" Vanille says.

I look at Vanille hearing that. "What happened? Before you turned to crystal?"

Vanille nods. "Pretty much."

Vanille walks up to the stone. She puts a hand on it. A small green glow appears where she placed her hand on. We all look at it carefully. Vanile backs up and the Cie'th stone shows a green screen in front of it.

"Well, that's certainly new." I say.

Words appear on the screen. Vanille looks at it and reads. "'Cocoon, where the slaves of Lindzei dwell, is the enemy of all life fostered by pulse's sacred hand. So our fal'Cie determined Pulse's will, chose l'Cie and gave them a Focus: Because Ragnarok, and bring about the end of Coocon. And so the beast arose, defeated Lindzei's hateful fal'Cie, and prepared to tear Cocoon apart. But her providence betrayed our l'Cie, draining Ragnarok of strength. Their Focus only half complete, the l'Cie were taken to the enemy's land by Barthandelus, curse his name. And the Goddess said: "L'Cie who rest upon Cocoon will reawaken, however long they may wait. And Ragnarok will rise again, to tear the land from its seat in the sky." Her word...is absolute.'"

The screen vanishes. "So...Cocoon is meant to be destroyed." I say.

Sazh turns around and sighs. "Guess the jig is up."

Sazh sits down. "Cocoon's done for, isn't it?" Hope says.

"Hey, don't sweat it. If we go ahead and smash Cocoon, you know some Maker's sure to roll up and save the day." Sazh says.

We're all silent for a moment. Then Snow speaks. "As long as fal'Cie are around, this fight is never gonna end." Snow says.

I cross my arms. "I hate to say this, but Villier's has a point. The fal'Cie are puppetmasters. As long as they're around, we're gonna be running for the rest of our lives."

"Exactly. So let's finish it. Let's get Dysley." Snow says.

Sazh stands up. "So what do we do about Orphan?"

Fang looks at Sazh. "We help Orphan. What else can we do? If we can manage to keep it safe..."

"Another war breaks out somewhere down the road." Lightning says. "We're l'Cie. It's not like we can make people stop fighting."

"Especially since they fear us l'Cie." I say.

We all lay silent. What else can we do? This is hopeless. Hope however realizes something. He looks up at Lightning. "Lightning, you told me on Cocoon." We all look at the boy. "It's not a question of can or can't. We just do it. That's our only choice this time."

"The kid's right. That's what Serah told me when I had doubts of being a Mercenary to fond for myself." I earned surprising looks from everyone. "I was young, illy prepared to take on the world without my parents. My only choice was to drop school and become a Mercenary. I wasn't sure if i could handle it, but I don't question it. I just do it."

"Yeah...Maybe it won't do much. Maybe only one person will listen to us. But even then, isn't trying better then doing nothing." Hope says.

Vanille hopes, laughs and rushes up and shakes Hope with excitement. "Because ripples can make waves!"

"Okay, kids have gone crazy." Sazh says.

"Revolutionaries always get called crazy." Fang says.

Vanille puts her hands behind her, walking away from the group. We all watch the girl. "When I was on Cocoon, I wished on those fireworks."

"Oh, great. So everyone but me made a wish on those Fireworks." I say.

"I didn't." Fang says.

"Me neither." Hope says.

Lightning looks at Hope. "Oh yeah, what about that wish you made back in Nautilus?" Hope suddenly feels embarrassed. Snow and Vanille just laughs at the kid.

I look back at Vanille. "You were saying?"

Vanille nods. "I wished to not let anything happen to Cocoon this time...But I shouldn't have wished for that." We all looked at Vanille with confusion. "Wishes aren't enough. Prayers either. This time I'm making a promise: I will keep Cocoon safe. I promise, no matter what."

"Guess it takes losing everything to make you see how much you have to fight for, huh?" Sazh asks.

"And we're the only ones who can do it. Right." Snow asks. patting a hand on Hope's shoulder. Hope looks up at Snow and nods with a smile.

Fang and Vanille wrist bumps each other. Me, Sazh and Lightning exchange looks. Lightning steps up. "All right then. Let's tie up loose ends." We all agreed.

We all make our way to the fal'Cie airship. I however feel uncomfortable getting on that thing, after the last time we got on board. Everyone but me go on board. I just stay outside with Snowflake. I look at the chocobo sadly. I wish I could take her with me. I just know she wouldn't survive whatever's gonna happen up there on Cocoon.

"Good-bye, Snowflake. I'll miss you." I say. The chocobo seems a bit confused. I walk onto the ship, and the chocobo follows me. I was about to realize that before I got all the way on. I push Snowflake back. "No, no...Stay."

I get back on the ship. Just like that, the chocobo obeys. The door closes and the airship takes flight. Snowflake kweh's sadly at the airship as it takes off, heading towards the gate of Cocoon.


End file.
